American center Nick Bonino, 36, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with HK Olimpija Ljubljana, the Slovenian-based ICEHL club announced on Friday.

“Nick’s achievements in the NHL speak volumes about his quality; however, I was most impressed by his personality,” said Olimpija CEO and former goaltender Anže Ulčar. “He is a dedicated hockey player with a high work ethic. From our very first conversation, it was clear that for him, family and hockey come first. He felt that Olimpija, Ljubljana, and Slovenia as a whole are the right environment for him and his loved ones, and he quickly decided to sign the agreement.”

Born in Hartford, Conn., Bonino was drafted out of high school in the sixth round, 173rd overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the next three seasons playing for the Boston University Terriers, helping the team win an NCAA championship in 2008-09.

From 2010 until 2024, Bonino recorded 358 points in 858 NHL regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Sharks and New York Rangers. He also had 48 points in 105 playoff games, helping Pittsburgh win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Internationally, Bonino has represented the USA at three IIHF World Championships, earning two bronze medals and serving as team captain in 2023 in Tampere.

Bonino’s only previous experience playing for a European club came during the 2012-13 NHL lockout when he played 19 games for Italian second-division club Neumarkt-Egna. He also played for German club Adler Mannheim in that season’s Spengler Cup tournament.

Bonino joins an Olimpija team that includes Slovenian national team veterans Robert Sabolič, Blaž Gregorc, Žiga Pance and Žiga Pavlin. The team currently sits seventh in the 13-team multi-national league with 28 points in 18 games.