Education
In his 1998-1999 season with Tampa he finished the year as a regular with the Lightning.
In his 1998-1999 season with Tampa he finished the year as a regular with the Lightning.
As a hockey player, he was drafted in the first round of the 1994 National Hockey League Entry Draft, 4th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, as one of the team"s two first-round picks that year (the other was Ryan Smyth two picks later). Bonsignore was drafted from the OHL"s Niagara Falls Thunder. While playing for the Oilers AHL farm team in the 1997-1998 season, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He was Tampa Bay"s leading rookie scorer his first year while also earning IHL player of the week (Rob Capellupo Award) recognition during a short stay with Tampa"s farm team in Cleveland.
Not given a qualifying offer by the Lightning, Bonsignore became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for the 1999-2000 season. He was a late cut at training camp and was assigned to their AHL farm team in Street John"son
Bonsignore suffered a season-ending ankle injury mid season, and asked for a release. He chose to sit out the next two years for personal reasons, then returned in the 2002-2003 season to play with the AHL franchises in Springfield and Lowell.
He tried out with the National Hockey League"s Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 but was released towards the end of training camp.
From the 2003-2004 through the 2007-2008 seasons, Bonsignore played hockey in the ECHL, Switzerland, Finland and Norway. In 2007-2008, Bonsignore returned to North America, where he tried to rehabilitate from a groin injury suffered in Norway while playing a few games with the Fresno Falcons. At the time the New Jersey Devils signed him for their farm team, the Trenton Devils, where he finished the year.
Bonsignore has not played since.
Jason Bonsignore currently runs the Rochester Red Wings travel hockey program and is head coach of two of their American Automobile Association teams. He just signed on in January, 2016, to start playing again with the Hamilton Steelhawks.
December 30, 1997 – Edmonton trades Bonsignore, Bryan Marchment and Steve Kelly to Tampa Bay in exchange for Roman Hamrlík and the rights to Paul Comrie. July 15, 1999 – Toronto signs Bonsignore
December 13, 2002 – Phoenix signs Bonsignore
September 21, 2003 – Atlanta releases Bonsignore from National Hockey League tryout during training camp.