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Scott Reinardy
Saturday, February 05, 2000 Page: 1B
They were just a glimpse of what is to come, but just four months into the
Penguins’ inaugural season, they are already legends. Dennis Bonvie and Tyler
Wright stood on the ice, waving to a sold-out, standing ovation crowd minutes
before Friday’s game at First Union Arena. Like celebrities returning to their
hometown, the former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players are now larger than life.
When we knew them, they were modest, hard-working hockey veterans grasping at
the same dream as rookies, all with a singular goal, reaching the NHL.
Actually, that’s not completely true. While for themselves they pined for the
highest level of hockey, they remained loyal to the team objective. While we
no longer see Bonvie’s familiar No. 27 banging in the corner, or Wright’s
pesky No. 29 forechecking the hell out of a defenseman, they remain with the
team in well wishes and good spirit. Both players continue their contact with
the local Penguins with weekly phone calls. Not just one phone call, but
several, each week. But why? They’re playing NHL hockey, making NHL money.
Their obligation here ended in December when Pittsburgh granted their
promotions. Their contracts never stipulated: “When playing in the NHL you
must remain committed to your AHL pals.” No, it wasn’t in writing. The oath
was deeper than that. “This was my team at the start of it,” said Wright,
the franchise’s first captain. “I want to see them do well. I’ve made a lot
of friends here. Being a captain there’s still an obligation to a certain
extent.” When the two were promoted, this team became disoriented without its
designated leader Wright, and spiritual leader Bonvie. The Penguins fell into
an AHL-long nine-game losing streak and have won just three games since Dec.
26 – the day Bonvie was called up. Wright was promoted Dec. 18. Besides
providing unlimited leadership, Wright and Bonvie were among the team’s top
scorers, collectively scoring 17 goals and recording 35 assists. But even
then, when they were the catalysts behind this team, they did not play the
role of stars. They still do not fulfill the egotistical obligations of an NHL
player. What makes Wright and Bonvie so extraordinary is that they’re
ordinary. “I don’t try to be anything more,” Bonvie said. “I don’t try to
be a guy who cares about a lot of money or cares about a lot of material
things. If you saw where Dennis Bonvie’s from, a town of 70 people, you’d be
like, `Wow.’ That’s what it basically comes down to.” These are the kinds of
guys you can swig beer or play poker with. They’re the same guys who stop to
help you change a flat in the dead of night. Perhaps that’s why, just like the
average person, Wright and Bonvie felt a little uneasy with their reception
Friday. “It sort of felt weird to go out because you played with these guys
and you never want to think that you’re bigger than them,” Wright said. “I
think of myself as a guy on the same level.” And that’s why Bonvie and Wright
will always be the Penguins’ first legitimate legends.
Contact Reinardy at 831-7342 or sreinardy@leader.net.