GhLinks Media
A hockey player for the Toledo Mobsters American Premier Hockey League (APHL), Johnny Bonta, has tragically died, the team announced Thursday, January 23, 2025.
He was 29.
Bonta’s death shocked the hockey fraternity and has sparked tributes from numerous teams and organizations in the APHL and beyond. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
“It us with heavy heart that we announce the passing of Johnny Bonta #13, #8,” the Toledo Mobsters Hockey Club announced. “Johnny was not only a valued, talented, player on our team, he was a friend, and family to our team and the organization,”
Johnny, a native of Cincinnati Ohio, played for several hockey clubs in his lengthy career. He played with the Blue Ridge Bobcats, the Danbury Hat Tricks and the Watertown Wolves, all with the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).
Even earlier in his career, he had turned up for the Helena Bighorns of the America West Hockey League (AWHL), the Bozeman Stingers in the BDHL and the Watertown Wolves of the FPHL.
Bonta helped the Watertown Wolves win the Commissioner’s Cup during the 2021-22 season.
The Covington Street Hockey Legaue (CSHL) said Johnny would be remembered for his ‘hustle, talent, and laughter’.
Funeral and memorial arrangements are yet to be completed and would be announced by his family in due time.
The CSHL is organizing memorial on Saturday, January 25 at 11am at the Kyle Wheeler memorial rink to celebrate Bonta.
Jacob Bonta, Johnny’s brother, paid tribute to him in an emotional social media post.
“To say that my brother loved hockey is quite the understatement. He ate, slept and breathed the game. It was part of him. And I’ll admit it, he was better than I was. Much better,” Jacob said.
“The last thing we talked about was how he was planning to start a semi pro team in Lexington. He gave his life to the sport and it makes me proud to know that he never stopped playing the game competitively until the very end,” Jacob added.
