ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed center Nick Bonino to a two-year contract through the 2013-14 NHL season. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.
Bonino, 24 (4/20/88), appeared in 50 games for the Ducks last season, collecting 5-13=18 points with a +1 rating and eight penalty minutes (PIM). Bonino set career highs in goals, assists, points and games played, while ranking third on the club in faceoffs wins (195) and faceoff attempts (454), and fourth among Anaheim forwards in blocked shots (39). The 6-1, 186-pound center began the season with Syracuse of the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring 6-16=22 points with two PIM in 19 games.
Acquired from San Jose with Timo Pielmeier in exchange for Kent Huskins and Travis Moen on Mar. 4, 2009, Bonino has scored 6-14=20 points with 14 PIM in 85 career NHL games with the Ducks. He made his NHL debut on Mar. 26, 2010 vs. Edmonton and scored his first career NHL goal (Kari Lehtonen) on Mar. 29, 2010 vs. Dallas. The Hartford, CT native made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in 2011 with Anaheim, going scoreless with two PIM in four Western Conference Quarterfinal games vs. Nashville.
Selected by San Jose in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Bonino played three seasons with Boston University (Hockey East) from 2007-10. He appeared in 116 career games with the Terriers, finishing with 45-72=117 points and 52 PIM. The Hartford, CT native helped lead the Terriers to the 2009 NCAA title by scoring the game-tying goal with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime in the Frozen Four championship game on Apr. 11, 2009 vs. Miami (Ohio).
