Former Penguins forward Nick Bonino signs in Slovenia
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino has signed with HK Olimpija Ljubljana, a team based in Slovenia that competes in the International Central European Hockey League (ICEHL). In addition to Slovenia, that league has teams based in Austria, Italy and Hungary.
HK Olimpija Ljubljana announced the signing via a release on Friday.
A native of Hartford, Conn., Bonino spent parts of three seasons with the Penguins, two of which ended with the team winning a Stanley Cup title in 2016 and 2017 during his first stint with the club as part of the famed “HBK Line” with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel.
He rejoined the Penguins late in the 2022-23 season but missed the final 18 games of that campaign after suffering a lacerated kidney.
In addition to the Penguins, the left-handed Bonino has played for the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers.
Bonino, 36, had been without a team for more than nine months after being released by the Rangers on Feb. 7.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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