The start of Nick Bonino’s NHL career moved quickly. The 21-year-old former junior ended his time with the Terriers with a semifinal loss to the University of Maine on March 19. Less than two weeks later, Bonino was on the ice playing for the Anaheim Ducks with Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermeyer, knocking home a loose puck in the slot for his first-career NHL goal.
Members of Boston University’s Dog Pound who have watched Bonino’s progression as a power forward for three years have kept a close eye on his foray into professional hockey.
Will McColl, a sophomore in the School of Management, wore a Bonino jersey in section 118 all season long. McColl was one of the only fans at Agganis Arena to wear Bonino’s jersey, as the NCAA prohibits the sale of jerseys with current players’ names on the back. But while McColl was unique in apparel, he is not alone in keeping track of Bonino’s career with the Ducks.
Many Dog Pound members saw the Terrier alumnus’ goal, and most agreed that it was not quite as impressive as some of the goals Bonino scored at BU.
“Like most goals, it was in between in terms of luck and skilled conversion,” said Michael Pangilinan, a 2008 graduate and a fixture in the Dog Pound. “The knack to chip a loose puck in front of the net is always useful, though.”
“His first goal certainly was not first-class, but you can only convert the opportunities presented to you,” McColl said. “Even though it was a rebound goal, it wasn’t all that easy as he still had to lift it top corner.”
“It was a good goal, nothing special though,” said Alex Rivenburgh, a sophomore in the College of General Studies who was in Washington D.C. last season to witness Bonino’s tying goal with 17 seconds left in the National Championship game. “Being fed the puck by Teemu Selanne must have been pretty special.”
While fans generally shared a similar reaction to Bonino’s goal, they were mixed on how they felt about him leaving BU so soon after the end of his junior season.
“I felt he did what most players with NHL aspirations are expected to do,” Pangilinan said. “This is why Matt Gilroy will forever be my favorite player ever to suit up for the Terriers, but Bonino has to do what is best for him and his career. I don’t begrudge him for it. Rather, I am thankful for the many great memories he provided for the BU faithful.”
“College is about training young adults for a future career, and that’s exactly what BU did for [Bonino],” McColl said. “If your career is in professional sports, it’s my opinion that you don’t need to stay until you get the diploma. Of course I hoped he and all other Terriers came back, but with achieving as much as he did in his three years on campus and being offered an NHL roster spot, you can’t ever fault a player for leaving.”
Yet some of the Terrier faithful did not feel Bonino was ready to leave college.
“I think he wasn’t 100 percent ready for the NHL,” Rivenburgh said. “I just think he wasn’t at the top of his game here in college, and I think he could have benefited from one more season here.
“I feel like it could be good for him in the long term though, getting some games under his belt now when it’s not so important, and then coming back to the Ducks next year and doing well. I’m going to miss him, but I understand the decision.”
“I was really pissed off when he left,” said Shoshanna Czik, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I thought he could have been captain next year. Because he’s in the NHL and not the AHL made it worth it, however.”
While fans will certainly miss Bonino here on Commonwealth Avenue, there is still a lot to look forward to from him.
“Hopefully as the careers of Amonte, Tkachuk, Drury and Pandolfo come to a close, Bonino can take the reins of Terriers in the NHL along with Wilson, Gilroy, Yip and co.,” McColl said.
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