Bonin became only the second Gopher hockey player (after John Mayasich in 1954 and 1955) to be named a First-Team All-American in back-to-back seasons. He led the WCHA in scoring as both a junior and a senior, and was named the league’s Player of the Year in the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He led the nation in regular season scoring as a senior and finished with 34 goals and 47 assists for 81 points. His 216 career points rank him among the top six scorers in Minnesota history. Bonin carried himself just as well in the classroom as on the ice, turning in a 3.17 overall GPA as a chemistry major for the resident of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He was a ninth round pick (211th overall) of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Bonin is retired from professional hockey and works in the financial industry in Minnesota. He spent five seasons playing minor pro hockey in the AHL and IHL and two seasons with Langnau in the Swiss A league.

The Award: