Chiefs’ 20-year-old forward Ben Bonni clears waivers
Spokane, Wash. — The Spokane Chiefs have announced that 20-year-old forward Ben Bonni has cleared waivers and will not return to the team for the 2024-25 season.
“Today was extremely difficult to inform Ben that he would not be returning to Spokane,” Chiefs General Manager Matt Bardsley said. “With league rules only allowing teams to roster three 20-year-olds, we felt it was best to make the decision now and allow Ben enough time to secure a spot with another team in junior hockey. Ben was very popular amongst his teammates, staff, fans, and organization. We thank him for everything he has done for the Spokane Chiefs and wish him all the best going forward.”
Bonni, a Winnipeg, Manitoba native, played 148 games in a Chiefs sweater after being acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2021. He played both as a winger and a defensemen throughout his time in Spokane, putting up 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 total points, 24 of which came in the 2023-24 campaign where Bonni also boasted a +15. Last season, Bonni served as a member of the Chiefs’ leadership group and was named the Players’ Player at the end of the season, as voted on by his teammates. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft.
The move cuts Spokane’s rostered 20-year-olds down to three: defenseman Brayden Crampton and forwards Rasmus Ekström and Shea Van Olm.
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The Spokane Chiefs are a member of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players. Since 1985 the Chiefs have been a pillar in the Spokane community, offering family-friendly entertainment and a winning tradition, which includes: two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 & 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 & 2008 and four Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000 & 2008. Over 60 alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.
