800-Game NHL Veteran Nick Bonino Signs an Unexpected New Professional Contract

Longtime NHL veteran Nick Bonino has signed a one-year contract with HK Olimpija Ljubljana in the ICEHL.

The veteran depth center appears to be done with the NHL after 868 career regular season games, 105 playoff games, and two Stanley Cups.

Typically, when players sign overseas that is a good indication that they will never play in the NHL again.

Considering the fact that he is nearly 37 years old is another factor that would make it tough for him to get a deal in North America. As such, it is off to Slovenia for him.

The move was confirmed by the Elite Prospects transfer portal.

Bonino is perhaps best known for his series-clinching goal in the second round of the 2016 playoffs.

The goal was by far the biggest in his career. It came as part of a legendary run for the veteran center.

During the Penguin's trip to the Stanley Cup in the 2015-16 season, Bonino far outscored his career average rate. He put up 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points on the run, more than doubling his point totals from any other season of his career.

Of course, he would go on to win the cup again the following season as the Penguins went back-to-back.

On that run he once again potted four goals, but this time he managed just 3 assists for a total of 7 points in 21 games.

Bonino would never again make it to the Stanley Cup finals, but he would make several more playoff appearances.

Three would come with the Nashville Predators where he would put up 8 points in 23 games across three seasons. His last trip to the playoffs came in 2021 where he appeared in all seven games for the Minnesota Wild, but failed to record a point.

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