Dennis Bonvie

Last updated
Dennis Bonvie
Dennis Bonvie.jpg
Bonvie with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2007
Born (1973-07-23) July 23, 1973 (age 50)
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Edmonton Oilers
Chicago Blackhawks
Pittsburgh Penguins
Boston Bruins
Ottawa Senators
Colorado Avalanche
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 1993–2008

Dennis Kevin Bonvie (born July 23, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, most notable for being the most penalized player in professional hockey history with 4,804 career professional career penalty minutes (most of it being in the American Hockey League). He is currently a pro scout for the NHL’s Boston Bruins.

Contents

Playing career

While Bonvie, a 5'11", 205-pound right winger, had appeared in 92 National Hockey League games with six different NHL teams since he turned pro in 1993 with the Edmonton Oilers, he spent the vast majority of his career in the American Hockey League in which he played with eight different clubs. Bonvie was known for a physical style of play and his primary role as the enforcer for his various teams. In his 92 NHL games, he recorded 311 PIMs.

On October 12, 1993, as a rookie with the Cape Breton Oilers Bonvie was involved in his first professional fight in the AHL against Jamie Huscroft of the Providence Bruins. On September 17, 1995 during his first pre-season game with the Edmonton Oilers Bonvie dropped the gloves with Bob Probert of the Chicago Blackhawks. On October 8, 1995, Bonvie was credited with his first NHL fight taking on Stu Grimson of the Detroit Red Wings. As a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs in 1997, Bonvie established a then-single season AHL record for penalty minutes (PIM) with 522, a mark which stood for eight seasons before being eclipsed in 2004–05 by Brian McGrattan of the Binghamton Senators with 551. Bonvie's eventual career AHL penalty minute total, 4,493 minutes (in just 871 regular season games) was a remarkable 1,553 more than Rob Murray's second overall career AHL record high total 2,940 PIM in 1,018 games over fifteen seasons. [1] During the 2008 season, Bonvie surpassed Kevin Evans for the most career penalty minutes in professional hockey history.

Bonvie's first and only NHL goal was scored when he was a member of the Boston Bruins. Bonvie had captured the puck at the blue line and let a hard slapshot go right at the top of the faceoff circle. He beat Chris "Ozzy" Osgood, who was playing for the New York Islanders at the time, fivehole. After Dennis had scored, he went by Osgood and said jokingly, "I think it's time you better retire."

The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, is often called the "house that Bonvie built." [2]

On December 26, 2007 in front of a sold out home crowd, Bonvie was involved in a toe-to-toe style fight with Jon Mirasty of the Syracuse Crunch. The fight lasted 1 minute and 30 seconds with both players trading multiple punches.

On April 12, 2008, Bonvie would dress in his last regular season game. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain Nathan Smith honored Bonvie by giving him the captain's "C" for his final game. Bonvie was involved in a fight that night taking on Jay Rosehill of the Norfolk Admirals. After the fight was over, Rosehill rose Bonvie's hand as a sign of respect and told him "it was an honor to fight him". [3]

On April 20, 2008, in an AHL playoff game against the Hershey Bears, Bonvie was involved in his final career scrap against agitator Louis Robitaille. This specific fight had been much anticipated as Bonvie had asked Robitaille to fight multiple times throughout the season.

In the 2007–08 season, he played as a member of the Eastern Conference champion Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before eventually losing the 2008 Calder Cup in six games to the Chicago Wolves. Bonvie retired after the season. [4] Bonvie currently operates the Dennis Bonvie Hockey Camp in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Restaurateur

Bonvie recently opened three restaurants in Northeastern Pennsylvania including Bonvie's Old Forge Pizza Express, Bonvie's Beefy King, and Bonvie's Blue Chip Gourmet. [5] [6]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1991–92 Kitchener Rangers OHL 711223—————
1991–92 North Bay Centennials OHL49012122612101191
1992–93 North Bay CentennialsOHL6432124316500034
1993–94 Cape Breton Oilers AHL 6311011278400011
1994–95 Cape Breton OilersAHL7451520422—————
1994–95 Edmonton Oilers NHL 20000—————
1995–96 Cape Breton Oilers AHL 38131427269—————
1995–96 Edmonton OilersNHL800047—————
1996–97 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL7392029522223111491
1997–98 Hamilton BulldogsAHL57111930295905518
1997–98 Edmonton OilersNHL400027—————
1998–99 Portland Pirates AHL310116—————
1998–99 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL37410141581433626
1998–99 Chicago Blackhawks NHL1100044—————
1999–00 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL4252631243—————
1999–00 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL2800080—————
2000–01 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL65518232212104435
2000–01 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL30000—————
2001–02 Providence Bruins AHL558816290—————
2001–02 Boston Bruins NHL231238410000
2002–03 Binghamton Senators AHL5173103111424685
2002–03 Ottawa Senators NHL1200029—————
2003–04 Binghamton SenatorsAHL29246137—————
2003–04 Hershey Bears AHL30369154—————
2003–04 Colorado Avalanche NHL10000—————
2004–05 Hershey BearsAHL7641418357—————
2005–06 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL7021315431900029
2006–07 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL5827918640117
2007–08 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL50246203910117
NHL totals9212331110000
AHL totals8718419127544939892736353

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References

  1. ↑ "AHL Hall of Fame". AHL. 2008-03-20. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  2. ↑ "Around the AHL". AHL. 2002-03-20. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  3. ↑ "Bonvie says goodbye". Times Leader. 2008-04-13. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  4. ↑ "Bonvie nearing the end of the road". AHL. 2008-04-12. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  5. ↑ "Bonvie: From ice to a slice". The Pittston Dispatch. 2010-01-03. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  6. ↑ "Former SWB Penguin Bonvie opens Beefy King restaurant in W-B". The Times–Tribune. 2010-06-08. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
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