Brian Bonin was a highly decorated player for the University of Minnesota from 1992 to 1996. He was a two-time First-Team All-American and was named the WCHA Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons. As a junior in 1994-95, Bonin was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He finished his career as one of the top six all-time leading scorers in school history with 216 points.

Following his college career, Bonin embarked on a professional journey that included stints in the AHL, IHL, and the NHL. He made his professional debut with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL in 1996. Bonin’s NHL career spanned two seasons, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and his hometown Minnesota Wild, where he played a total of 12 games. He also spent two seasons playing in the Swiss National League with SC Langnau before retiring from professional hockey.