In the end, the franchise managed to sort things out. After a more recent period of upheaval, he anticipates better times once more.

Relocating to the nation’s capital, Bonk follows his former team closely and is aware of the frustration felt by fans under the ownership of the late Eugene Melnyk. However, he has been encouraged since a group led by Michael Andlauer purchased the team.

After a difficult start to the 2023–24 season, D.J. Smith was fired and Jacques Martin, who coached Bonk in Ottawa from 1996 to 2004, took over as bench coach.

As he watched his son Oliver play for Canada at the world junior hockey championship, Bonk remarked, “They have a good future.” “After four, five, or six difficult years, people are growing a little impatient. The new coach will be beneficial.

“New voice, a little bit more structure.”

The Senators selected Bonk third overall in the 1994 NHL Draft; over 14 seasons, he played in 969 NHL games with 194 goals and 497 points. In 73 playoff games, he recorded 12 goals and 15 assists.

Like in his first round, the 47-year-old anticipates Martin will steer Ottawa in the right direction.

“(Crappiest) team in the league and then Jacques came over,” remarked Bonk, who, prior to retiring in 2014, also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and five additional years in the Czech Republic. He provided us with guidance. proved to us that this is the proper way to play if you want to win.

“We became one of the best teams in the league.”

According to Bonk, there was always clarity regarding Martin’s situation. The core of the current Senate, which consists of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, and Thomas Chabot, ought to feel the same way.

“Holds you accountable,” the man uttered. “He’ll do well with the younger children. They will improve if they adopt his ideas.”

The former center reflected on the Senators teams that never managed to overcome adversity, such as the squad that lost to the New Jersey Devils in the 2003 Eastern Conference final.

Ottawa was down 3-1 in that series, but won two straight to force Game 7 at home. Bonk tied things 2-2 in the third period when he blasted a slapshot past Martin Brodeur before Jeff Friesen broke Senators hearts with just over two minutes left in regulation.

The Devils went onto down the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for their third Stanley Cup.

“That was hard,” Bonk said. “If you’d asked me back then before the game, I would have bet everything I had that we were going to win. I remember that tying goal. Then before they scored, (Senators winger Marian Hossa) had two or three chances. That’s the guy you want. We were the better team in the third period. They had that one rush.

“That was my chance to win the Stanley Cup.”

Bonk, who never played at the world juniors, also talked about his time with the International Hockey League’s Las Vegas Thunder before joining the Senators — including his 208 penalty minutes in 1993-94.

“A lot of 10-minute misconducts,” he chuckled and reported. spoke very little English. I was always yapping at the referees, but all I knew was their foul language. They probably didn’t like hearing a 17-year-old speak in such a manner.

Former teammate Wade Redden has returned to the organization in a development role, and Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson is back in the fold as one of Martin’s assistants, but Bonk is content to coach minor hockey.

“I have three more children,” he stated. “I never made it out of pro hockey, so I retired. I had a lot of missing.”

But Bonk will still be following his first, and most memorable, NHL stop.