Jason M. Bonsignore (born April 15, 1976) is an American former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

and

speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

promoter and racer.

Early life

Bonsignore was born in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. As a youth, Bonsignore played in the 1990

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

with a

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...

team from Rochester.

Career

Bonsignore was drafted in the first round of the

1994 NHL Entry Draft The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was the 32nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994. The last active players in the NHL from this draft class were Patrik Elias and Eric Boulton, who both played their last NHL g ...

, fourth overall, by the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

, from the

Niagara Falls Thunder The Niagara Falls Thunder was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1988 to 1996. The team was based in Niagara Falls, Ontario. History Niagara Falls became home to its third OHL franchise in 1988 upon the relocation of the H ...

in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...

. While playing for the Oilers'

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

farm team in the 1997–98 season, he was traded to the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

. He was Tampa Bay's leading rookie scorer his first year while also earning International Hockey League player of the week recognition during a short stay with Tampa's farm team in Cleveland. In his 1998–99 season with Tampa, he finished the year as a regular with the Lightning. Not given a qualifying offer by the Lightning, Bonsignore became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

organization for the 1999–2000 season. He was a late cut at training camp and was assigned to their AHL farm team in St John's. Bonsignore suffered a season-ending ankle injury mid season, and asked for a release. He chose to sit out the next two years for personal reasons, then returned in the 2002–03 season to play with the AHL franchises in Springfield and Lowell. He tried out with the NHL's

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

in 2003 but was released towards the end of training camp. From the 2003–04 through the 2007–08 seasons, Bonsignore played hockey in the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

, Switzerland, Finland and Norway. In 2007–08, Bonsignore returned to North America, where he tried to rehabilitate from a groin injury suffered in Norway while playing a few games with the Fresno Falcons. At the time the New Jersey Devils signed him for their farm team, the Trenton Devils, where he finished the year and ended his career as a professional player. Bonsignore later coached Rochester Red Wings

team, and signed to play with the Hamilton Steelhawks in January 2016.

Transactions

*December 30, 1997 – Edmonton trades Bonsignore,

Bryan Marchment Bryan William Marchment (May 1, 1969 – July 6, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets (1972–96), Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa ...

and Steve Kelly to Tampa Bay in exchange for

Roman Hamrlík Roman Hamrlík (born April 12, 1974) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally selected first overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, ...

and the rights to

Paul Comrie Paul Gordon Comrie (born February 7, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edmonton Oilers during the 1999–00 season. Hockey player Before his short professional care ...

. *July 15, 1999 – Toronto signs Bonsignore. *December 13, 2002 – Phoenix signs Bonsignore. *September 21, 2003 – Atlanta releases Bonsignore from NHL tryout during training camp.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

*
SM-liiga official website

Speedway site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonsignore, Jason 1976 births American men's ice hockey centers Cape Breton Oilers players Cleveland Lumberjacks players Edmonton Oilers draft picks Edmonton Oilers players EHC Biel players Fresno Falcons players Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players Ice hockey players from New York (state) Ilves players Las Vegas Wranglers players Living people Lowell Lock Monsters players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Newmarket Royals players Niagara Falls Thunder players Lahti Pelicans players San Antonio Dragons players South Carolina Stingrays players Sportspeople from Rochester, New York Springfield Falcons players St. John's Maple Leafs players Sudbury Wolves players Tampa Bay Lightning players Trenton Devils players Trondheim Black Panthers players