On October 12, 1993, Dennis Bonvie dropped the gloves for the first time at the professional level as a member of the Cape Brenton Oilers. It was the first of what would total to 4,804 penalty minutes at the professional level. His totals including his junior career expand the number to 4,493 and 353 in the postseason. Bonvie battled in 871 career games in the American Hockey League and 92 at the National Hockey League level. Now, he’s being honored by being inducted into the AHL’s Hall of Fame this weekend.
Battling Beginnings
Like many players, Bonvie started his journey to the professional level through the Canadian junior ranks. He skated briefly with the Kitchener Rangers and predominantly the North Bay Centennials from 1991-93. Bonvie racked up 600 penalty minutes in that time and managed to chip in 38 points along the way. He made the leap to the AHL ranks to start the 1993-94 season with Cape Brenton. His first fight on October 12, 1993, was the start of a career full of fisticuffs that landed him his own unique place in the league’s history.
The odds are stacked against me. I wasn’t the toughest, wasn’t the biggest, wasn’t the fastest. But one thing I had was a strong desire to keep going and do whatever it takes to play the game, to protect my teammates. That was the biggest thing for me. I’ve always been like that.
Bonvie on how he made a career out of penalty minutes
He made the swap from Cape Brenton to Hamilton after parent club Edmonton relocated their affiliate in 1996. Bonvie managed to nab the Cape Brenton club record for penalty minutes in a single season with 422 in 1995-96. He’d skate with the Hamilton Bulldogs for two seasons, amassing over 800 penalty minutes along the way, going as far as the Calder Cup Finals in 1997. The Bulldogs lost in five games to the Hershey Bears, the start of a scrappy relationship with the league’s oldest team.
The House That Bonvie Built
The 1999-2000 season saw Bonvie join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. He’d help open the Mohegan Sun Arena, home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, for their first two seasons. His presence helped establish the “Baby Penguins” as a formidable force in the AHL, becoming a fan favorite. Penguins faithful dubbed their home “the house that Bonvie built” in response to the cult hero he had become. He was part of a Penguins team that went as far as the final round in 2001, falling in six games to the St. John Flames.
After that fantastic season, Bonvie moved around a bit. He played for the Providence Bruins as well as a stint for their parent club in Boston, where he scored his only NHL goal. In passing the goaltender he scored on, Chris Osgood, Bonvie made sure he knew about it.
“I go by Osgood and I was like, ‘You should retire, I scored on you, I can’t believe I scored on you,’” Bonvie recalled prior to his retirement. “But it was great. It was just something I never thought I’d do. You’re always out there getting a shift or two trying to get that goal, but it just doesn’t seem it’s going to happen. That was unbelievable.”
I-81 For Life
Bonvie spent a pair of seasons with Wilkes-Barre’s biggest rival, the Hershey Bears, during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. He’d rack up 511 penalty minutes while wearing the Chocolate and White in 106 total games. The end of Hershey’s affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche spelled the end of his time there. He’d travel back up I-81 and go back to Wilkes-Barre, where he’d finish his career over the next three seasons. In that span, he’d put up 820 more penalty minutes and get one last long playoff run in. The Penguins lost in six games to the Chicago Wolves.
I said coming back three years ago that this is the place I wanted to retire,” Bonvie said of returning to Wilkes-Barre in 2007. “I always said this was my home away from home, Wilkes-Barre. And I’m not lying. I enjoy being here, I own a house here and my family and I are ecstatic about coming back, and hopefully being part of the future in Wilkes-Barre.”
Indeed, Bonvie went out in style. During the Penguins’ final game of the 2007-08 season, Nathan Smith passed the captain’s crest to Bonvie for his final game. Bonvie went out the only way one would expect, dropping the gloves with Jay Rosehill. At the end of the fight, Rosehill raised Bonvie’s hand in respect to him. During the playoffs, he’d record his final fight against Louis Robitaille from the Hershey Bears as a heavyweight tilt between the two rivals.
Bonvie finished his HOF induction speech by thanking the fans.
Last but certainly not least, [I want to thank] the fans. Your cheers, your chants, and even your boos show passion for the game of hockey and make it much more exciting to play. The induction is as much yours as it is mine. I’ve been blessed to have so many supporters throughout the years, in every place I’ve played. I will continue to promote this great game of hockey for as long as they can encourage. Life is short. Take a chance. You just never know where the road will lead you.
