Josh Bonar
Position: RW
Birth date: Jan 22, 1984
From: Port Alberni, BC; Canada
Height: 6' 2"
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 200lbs
Noteworthy teams: Kamloops Blazers, Vancouver Giants
Ok, so first and foremost I want to thank Josh for letting me interview him. He’s one of my best friends and it was nice to get a practice interview out of the way. While not an enforcer, he’s had his fair share of tilts, and he’s played alongside a few of the top heavyweights in the NHL today, as well as numerous other tough guys.
DTM - Ok so my first question, tell everyone what it was like having to play against Derek Boogaard back in your WHL days?
JB - I don’t know, he was obviously their tough guy... myself personally, I didn’t really think too much of it because I’m a lot smaller, so I’m not going to have to fight him unless I do something stupid. He would be fighting our heavyweight which was pretty fun to watch though... but now it’s pretty cool to see him in the NHL being one of the top heavyweights after playing against him in junior.
What was it like having Colton Orr on your team back with the Kamloops Blazers riding shotgun for you?
It was awesome. He was a great team guy and would stick up for anyone at any given time on the ice. He was also a good player that would chip in scoring too. It's great to see him doing so well after playing with him. He deserves it. He’s one of my favourite guys in the NHL now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuZf0ppNqeg
Have there ever been any tough guys you’ve played against that actually intimidated you?
Well Boogaard was probably the most intimidating. I mean the guy is HUGE. I was pretty young at the time but like I said it wasn’t up to me to fight him so there wasn’t to much intimidation in my mind. I just went out there and did my thing and we had our own guy to deal with him if the situation arose.
What player do you model yourself after and why?
I was asked this question in the Vancouver Province when I was in Vancouver playing with the Giants haha. I’d have to say that Pavel Bure was my favourite of all time but lets be honest he’s a totally different player than what I could ever do out there so I tried to model myself after Eric Lindros, because at the time he was in his prime, crashing, banging ,putting up a lot of points. That’s the style of hockey that appeals to me when I’m watching and I tried to do the same when I was playing. He was my favourite player.
What did you mom think when you’d drop the mitts?
She hates it she deals with it though.
What made you decide to drop the gloves for the first time ever and what happened in the fight? It was against the Prince George Cougars, I was 16 and playing for the Kamloops Blazers, well we had just scored actually and as we went to celebrate, I all of a sudden found myself being grabbed by the head so I just dropped the gloves and started throwing. About 3 seconds later I found myself getting pounded in the nose about 3 or 4 times in a row. So now, my nose was gushing blood, and I mean LEAKING. I didn’t stop throwing though because of the adrenaline, and finally we fell to the ice and I remember seeing blood all over my visor haha. I then head to the penalty box only to be stopped a few seconds later and told to go hit the locker room to go get 5 stitches in my nose. I also had to switch jerseys because mine was a mess. After all that I headed back out to the “boner” cheers which were pretty funny.
Ok, on the flipside now, what fight was the biggest asskicking you’ve handed out in your career?
Ok first, we need to go over a bit what happened before this, because its kind of confusing. So I played for the Kamloops Blazers, and we are playing against the Vancouver Giants. Two of my buddies who had played the year before in Kamloops with me, Jack Redlick and Pat Brandreth, ended up getting picked up off of waivers by the Giants, and are now playing against us. I know them pretty well and am still friends with them. Anyways, my teammate and buddy of mine, Ryan Annesley, lines up for the draw against Jeremy Jackson of the Giants. He ends up getting pulled and I was sent in to take it. Jackson ends up slashing me pretty hard instead of even trying for the puck, so I whack him back. We give it to each other for a few seconds, meanwhile Redlick and Brandreth are both on the ice with him, and these are two guys with a lot of fights under there belt. They both look at each other surprised, with the looks of “who’s going to do something about this?” They obviously don’t really want to since we are all buddies. So Pat comes up to me and gives me shot, I turn around and give him a shot back and we drop the mitts, square off and away we go. This was one of my better fights I had and I’ll always remember it mostly because Pat had been in so many fights the year before so everyone thought I was done. In the end though, he separated his shoulder and I broke his nose during the fight. What was funny is that after all of this, I ended up getting traded to Vancouver, and ironically enough I ended up living with him at his billets house. It was all good though, and we still talk once in a while. We have a mutual friend to this day that always beaks him about it too which is awesome.
What kind of music do you listen to outside of hockey? Who gets to control the music in the dressing room before the game? Any particular bands that fire you guys up? And have you been to any good concerts lately?
Well the music I have listened to before games has really changed over the years. As of late I’m listening to a bit of everything. Some dance or techno before games gets me fired up or of course some hard rock. In the dressing room usually the older guys control the music but it varies from team to team. The last song that has got me fired up is “Undead” by Hollywood Undead . Linkin park is always a good choice before games to get the guys fired up too.
Ever had anyone play any lame music?
What I don’t get is those guys that put on country before games. We had that for a bit last year and it was honestly like a morgue in there at times. Eventually the younger guys took over by the end of the year haha.
Do you usually only fight for a reason or sometimes just for the hell of it?
Spur of the moment I would have to say. All my fights last year were spur of the moment I believe or when I was sticking up for a teammate. I’m not one to usually just tilt for the hell of it, but it has happened a few times.
If you were commissioner for a day, what are two changes you’d make?
I honestly love the game the way it is right now with the changes they have made over the past few years. I don’t think I would change anything. I always debate about the instigator rule because it has its pros and cons... right now with the respect of the players in the game I think it is a good rule and has served a great purpose because you don’t see too many cheap shots in the game today. There really is no need for anyone to instigate things all that much.
Who in the NHL do you think is the biggest spot picker?
Ummm... man that’s tough. Matt Cooke. He starts so much shit and rarely ever backs it up unless its against someone his size.
Who would you love to fight more than anyone in the NHL?
Haha, there are a few. Chris Pronger, Jason Spezza, Corey Perry, Matt Cooke, Danny Heatley are guys I’d love to scrap. Not saying I could beat them but I’d love to give it a try!
What is your favourite movie/actor?
Dumb and dumber for sure, and my favourite actor is Will Ferrell. I love the old Jim Carrey too but he’s not as funny anymore.
What is your favourite TV show?
Seinfeld, Entourage and Hockey Night in Canada when I’m in Canada of course.
What’s one thing around the house that you just can’t live without?
Definitely the Internet.
What is your favourite vacation spot? Do you have any planned coming up?
Las Vegas and no, I don’t have any planned this summer yet. I really want to get to Mexico one of these days though.
Which is your favourite city to party in?
I’d still say Vegas. I mean how can u go wrong? It has everything I want; girls, sports, gambling and hot weather. I love Victoria too. Vancouver, St Catherine’s and Calgary as well. Arizona is pretty sick too. I’ve been lucky because I’ve gotten to see quite a few different places thanks to hockey.
Have you ever had a finesse players specifically ask you to take care of business out on the ice because someone was pissing them off?
No not really. You should know when something like that needs to be taken care of the tough guys are there to handle those situations.
Who was your favourite tough guy/team growing up?
Vancouver Canucks, and since he was a Canuck, Donald Brashear. I’m not a fan of him since the whole Marty Mcsorley court case thing though. Now I would have to say Colton Orr.
What is the most memorable fight you remember seeing growing up?
The first Jovanovski /Deadmarsh fight when they were in Vancouver during the height of their rivalry. Jovo KO’d Deadmarsh and it was unreal. Deadmarsh was lucky in the rematch that none of Jovanovski’s connected or it would have been lights out all over again.
(Round 1)
(Round 2)
Ever had any former teammate that you despised that you wanted to fight or did end up fighting?
Not really, I usually get along with everyone pretty well.
Who would you take to be your sidekick, Brashear, Laraque or Boogaard?
I’d pick Brashear if I had to, but I’d rather have a guy like Colton Orr.
Who would you like to smash more in the NHL; Ruutu, Cooke, Kaleta, Ott, Avery or Burrows?
Definitely Matt Cooke or Steve Ott.
Have you ever had a non fighter challenge you where you knew you’d kick their ass, but they still wanted to fight you?
Unfortunately not haha.
Ever had an opponent say something to you that crossed the line and made you madder than you’ve ever been before?
Fortunately no, nothing too personal anyways. One thing that did make me laugh was this year when I played my first game against Wichita in the CHL, during the whole anthem there were non stop “boner” jokes from the fans and some were pretty good.
Do you have any tattoos?
No
This is for my buddy, Are you a big UFC fan? If you could trade places with one UFC fighter, who would it be and why?
Ya I watch the UFC from time to time. I love Quentin “Rampage” Jackson and Georges “Rush” St Pierre. Rampage is cool because he’s a scary, crazy looking dood and I love his entrance. St Pierre because, well, he’s Canadian and he’s the best in the world. Look at the guy, he’s chiselled to the max so must get a lot of ass!
And lastly, tell us a funny/cool story involving a fight/brawl in your career.
K there was a mix up on the ice in a game when I played for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Ryan Storey, a teammate of mine on Alberni Valley who was a skinny guy who could throw them, and Chris Frank who’s a heavyweight now in the AHL, were yapping and yapping at each other. Eventually they come to the bench both in each other’s faces and take a seat, but they’re still at each other beaking, with only the glass separating them. So Frank leans over and tells Storey to hit him. He keeps saying "hit me" with his head sticking out over the ice, so Storey goes "ok" under his breath and kind of takes his glove off and absolutely smokes him. We're talking instant blood and all hell breaks loose. The refs kick those 2 guys out, meanwhile sticks are swinging from bench to bench and I’m right there by the bench and both teams are going at it until the coach grabs me and throws me back over the bench and onto the ground. Meanwhile these two meat heads are in the tunnel screaming at each other and getting closer and closer. My teammate Tyler Ruel is on the ice ready to take the face off and he looks over at the bench and no one, and I mean not one person is on the bench from either team because everyone is in the hallway. Then the ref’s and security finally get in there and things were settled. It was honestly one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in hockey.
K once again, I just want to say thanks to Josh for taking the time to get this thing started. Greatly appreciated budddddz!!!
Noteworthy teams: Kamloops Blazers, Vancouver Giants
Ok, so first and foremost I want to thank Josh for letting me interview him. He’s one of my best friends and it was nice to get a practice interview out of the way. While not an enforcer, he’s had his fair share of tilts, and he’s played alongside a few of the top heavyweights in the NHL today, as well as numerous other tough guys.
DTM - Ok so my first question, tell everyone what it was like having to play against Derek Boogaard back in your WHL days?
JB - I don’t know, he was obviously their tough guy... myself personally, I didn’t really think too much of it because I’m a lot smaller, so I’m not going to have to fight him unless I do something stupid. He would be fighting our heavyweight which was pretty fun to watch though... but now it’s pretty cool to see him in the NHL being one of the top heavyweights after playing against him in junior.
What was it like having Colton Orr on your team back with the Kamloops Blazers riding shotgun for you?
It was awesome. He was a great team guy and would stick up for anyone at any given time on the ice. He was also a good player that would chip in scoring too. It's great to see him doing so well after playing with him. He deserves it. He’s one of my favourite guys in the NHL now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuZf0ppNqeg
Have there ever been any tough guys you’ve played against that actually intimidated you?
Well Boogaard was probably the most intimidating. I mean the guy is HUGE. I was pretty young at the time but like I said it wasn’t up to me to fight him so there wasn’t to much intimidation in my mind. I just went out there and did my thing and we had our own guy to deal with him if the situation arose.
What player do you model yourself after and why?
I was asked this question in the Vancouver Province when I was in Vancouver playing with the Giants haha. I’d have to say that Pavel Bure was my favourite of all time but lets be honest he’s a totally different player than what I could ever do out there so I tried to model myself after Eric Lindros, because at the time he was in his prime, crashing, banging ,putting up a lot of points. That’s the style of hockey that appeals to me when I’m watching and I tried to do the same when I was playing. He was my favourite player.
What did you mom think when you’d drop the mitts?
She hates it she deals with it though.
What made you decide to drop the gloves for the first time ever and what happened in the fight? It was against the Prince George Cougars, I was 16 and playing for the Kamloops Blazers, well we had just scored actually and as we went to celebrate, I all of a sudden found myself being grabbed by the head so I just dropped the gloves and started throwing. About 3 seconds later I found myself getting pounded in the nose about 3 or 4 times in a row. So now, my nose was gushing blood, and I mean LEAKING. I didn’t stop throwing though because of the adrenaline, and finally we fell to the ice and I remember seeing blood all over my visor haha. I then head to the penalty box only to be stopped a few seconds later and told to go hit the locker room to go get 5 stitches in my nose. I also had to switch jerseys because mine was a mess. After all that I headed back out to the “boner” cheers which were pretty funny.
Ok, on the flipside now, what fight was the biggest asskicking you’ve handed out in your career?
Ok first, we need to go over a bit what happened before this, because its kind of confusing. So I played for the Kamloops Blazers, and we are playing against the Vancouver Giants. Two of my buddies who had played the year before in Kamloops with me, Jack Redlick and Pat Brandreth, ended up getting picked up off of waivers by the Giants, and are now playing against us. I know them pretty well and am still friends with them. Anyways, my teammate and buddy of mine, Ryan Annesley, lines up for the draw against Jeremy Jackson of the Giants. He ends up getting pulled and I was sent in to take it. Jackson ends up slashing me pretty hard instead of even trying for the puck, so I whack him back. We give it to each other for a few seconds, meanwhile Redlick and Brandreth are both on the ice with him, and these are two guys with a lot of fights under there belt. They both look at each other surprised, with the looks of “who’s going to do something about this?” They obviously don’t really want to since we are all buddies. So Pat comes up to me and gives me shot, I turn around and give him a shot back and we drop the mitts, square off and away we go. This was one of my better fights I had and I’ll always remember it mostly because Pat had been in so many fights the year before so everyone thought I was done. In the end though, he separated his shoulder and I broke his nose during the fight. What was funny is that after all of this, I ended up getting traded to Vancouver, and ironically enough I ended up living with him at his billets house. It was all good though, and we still talk once in a while. We have a mutual friend to this day that always beaks him about it too which is awesome.
What kind of music do you listen to outside of hockey? Who gets to control the music in the dressing room before the game? Any particular bands that fire you guys up? And have you been to any good concerts lately?
Well the music I have listened to before games has really changed over the years. As of late I’m listening to a bit of everything. Some dance or techno before games gets me fired up or of course some hard rock. In the dressing room usually the older guys control the music but it varies from team to team. The last song that has got me fired up is “Undead” by Hollywood Undead . Linkin park is always a good choice before games to get the guys fired up too.
Ever had anyone play any lame music?
What I don’t get is those guys that put on country before games. We had that for a bit last year and it was honestly like a morgue in there at times. Eventually the younger guys took over by the end of the year haha.
Do you usually only fight for a reason or sometimes just for the hell of it?
Spur of the moment I would have to say. All my fights last year were spur of the moment I believe or when I was sticking up for a teammate. I’m not one to usually just tilt for the hell of it, but it has happened a few times.
If you were commissioner for a day, what are two changes you’d make?
I honestly love the game the way it is right now with the changes they have made over the past few years. I don’t think I would change anything. I always debate about the instigator rule because it has its pros and cons... right now with the respect of the players in the game I think it is a good rule and has served a great purpose because you don’t see too many cheap shots in the game today. There really is no need for anyone to instigate things all that much.
Who in the NHL do you think is the biggest spot picker?
Ummm... man that’s tough. Matt Cooke. He starts so much shit and rarely ever backs it up unless its against someone his size.
Who would you love to fight more than anyone in the NHL?
Haha, there are a few. Chris Pronger, Jason Spezza, Corey Perry, Matt Cooke, Danny Heatley are guys I’d love to scrap. Not saying I could beat them but I’d love to give it a try!
What is your favourite movie/actor?
Dumb and dumber for sure, and my favourite actor is Will Ferrell. I love the old Jim Carrey too but he’s not as funny anymore.
What is your favourite TV show?
Seinfeld, Entourage and Hockey Night in Canada when I’m in Canada of course.
What’s one thing around the house that you just can’t live without?
Definitely the Internet.
What is your favourite vacation spot? Do you have any planned coming up?
Las Vegas and no, I don’t have any planned this summer yet. I really want to get to Mexico one of these days though.
Which is your favourite city to party in?
I’d still say Vegas. I mean how can u go wrong? It has everything I want; girls, sports, gambling and hot weather. I love Victoria too. Vancouver, St Catherine’s and Calgary as well. Arizona is pretty sick too. I’ve been lucky because I’ve gotten to see quite a few different places thanks to hockey.
Have you ever had a finesse players specifically ask you to take care of business out on the ice because someone was pissing them off?
No not really. You should know when something like that needs to be taken care of the tough guys are there to handle those situations.
Who was your favourite tough guy/team growing up?
Vancouver Canucks, and since he was a Canuck, Donald Brashear. I’m not a fan of him since the whole Marty Mcsorley court case thing though. Now I would have to say Colton Orr.
What is the most memorable fight you remember seeing growing up?
The first Jovanovski /Deadmarsh fight when they were in Vancouver during the height of their rivalry. Jovo KO’d Deadmarsh and it was unreal. Deadmarsh was lucky in the rematch that none of Jovanovski’s connected or it would have been lights out all over again.
(Round 1)
(Round 2)
Ever had any former teammate that you despised that you wanted to fight or did end up fighting?
Not really, I usually get along with everyone pretty well.
Who would you take to be your sidekick, Brashear, Laraque or Boogaard?
I’d pick Brashear if I had to, but I’d rather have a guy like Colton Orr.
Who would you like to smash more in the NHL; Ruutu, Cooke, Kaleta, Ott, Avery or Burrows?
Definitely Matt Cooke or Steve Ott.
Have you ever had a non fighter challenge you where you knew you’d kick their ass, but they still wanted to fight you?
Unfortunately not haha.
Ever had an opponent say something to you that crossed the line and made you madder than you’ve ever been before?
Fortunately no, nothing too personal anyways. One thing that did make me laugh was this year when I played my first game against Wichita in the CHL, during the whole anthem there were non stop “boner” jokes from the fans and some were pretty good.
Do you have any tattoos?
No
This is for my buddy, Are you a big UFC fan? If you could trade places with one UFC fighter, who would it be and why?
Ya I watch the UFC from time to time. I love Quentin “Rampage” Jackson and Georges “Rush” St Pierre. Rampage is cool because he’s a scary, crazy looking dood and I love his entrance. St Pierre because, well, he’s Canadian and he’s the best in the world. Look at the guy, he’s chiselled to the max so must get a lot of ass!
And lastly, tell us a funny/cool story involving a fight/brawl in your career.
K there was a mix up on the ice in a game when I played for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Ryan Storey, a teammate of mine on Alberni Valley who was a skinny guy who could throw them, and Chris Frank who’s a heavyweight now in the AHL, were yapping and yapping at each other. Eventually they come to the bench both in each other’s faces and take a seat, but they’re still at each other beaking, with only the glass separating them. So Frank leans over and tells Storey to hit him. He keeps saying "hit me" with his head sticking out over the ice, so Storey goes "ok" under his breath and kind of takes his glove off and absolutely smokes him. We're talking instant blood and all hell breaks loose. The refs kick those 2 guys out, meanwhile sticks are swinging from bench to bench and I’m right there by the bench and both teams are going at it until the coach grabs me and throws me back over the bench and onto the ground. Meanwhile these two meat heads are in the tunnel screaming at each other and getting closer and closer. My teammate Tyler Ruel is on the ice ready to take the face off and he looks over at the bench and no one, and I mean not one person is on the bench from either team because everyone is in the hallway. Then the ref’s and security finally get in there and things were settled. It was honestly one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in hockey.
K once again, I just want to say thanks to Josh for taking the time to get this thing started. Greatly appreciated budddddz!!!
-Chris
Thats a really good interview. Best ever.
ReplyDelete-Chris' Mom