Bonvie/Stephens Trade Articles: Disgruntled Bonvie traded to Avalanche
January 24, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Press Connects.com

Disgruntled Bonvie traded to Avalanche

Enforcer will play for Hershey

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

ALBANY -- The month-long Dennis Bonvie soap opera has come to its inevitable conclusion Friday. Bonvie, the Binghamton Senators' estranged enforcer and the American Hockey League's all-time penalty-minute king, was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Charlie Stephens. The trade ends a 34-day standoff between Bonvie and the team he left without permission Dec. 21, resulting in an indefinite suspension.

"We had two options, either trade him and get something for him or bring him back to play for us, and we decided to go with the second," Binghamton Senators executive vice president Tom Mitchell said. "It's good for Dennis because, from what I hear, he wants to play, and it's good for us because we're getting a player and Ottawa is getting a player that we think can help us."

Stephens, 22, was expected to arrive in Binghamton late Friday night and to play in tonight's home game against Rochester. He scored 17 goals as a rookie last season with the Hershey Bears but has struggled since being arrested last March on charges that he and his brother beat and kicked another man during a fight in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Bonvie, 30, was never happy with the two-year, minor-league contract he signed with Ottawa last summer and chose to leave the B-Sens following a 3-1 loss in Worcester last month. He's been awaiting a trade from his Nova Scotia home and is expected to join Colorado's AHL affiliate in Hershey, an East Division rival of the Senators.

"I really liked playing in Binghamton, but it was disappointing the way it all turned out," said Bonvie, always a favorite of Senators fans. "It was a very unfortunate situation. Now I'm looking forward to a new start."

Stephens could not be reached Friday night en route to Binghamton, but a new start is seemingly what he needs, too.

In 32 games with Hershey this season, Stephens had just five goals and nine assists. He has also spent seven games with Quad City in the United Hockey League and had two assists in seven games for the Avalanche.

"Charlie had a great year last year, and he's struggled a little bit this year," Mitchell said. "Maybe a different coach could make the difference. We need help, and he needs his career kick-started. That's what we're hoping from Charlie."

The Senators meet Hershey two more times this season, including Feb. 6 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

"It'll be an interesting night," Mitchell said of a possible Bonvie return. "I think it'll be an interesting reunion."