Never Summer gave me a heads up on this article about former Denver Pioneer Geoff Paukovich. The article mentions Robbie Bina and his relationship with Geoff Paukovich and how they put the hit behind them.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL --- Nearly six years removed from the play that changed his life, Paukovich has since made his peace with Bina, who he now considers a friend.
The two cleared the air a couple of years ago when they were in Edmonton's training camp together, and they also were teammates in Springfield during the 2008-09 season.
"The biggest thing for me was when Robbie and I played together, one of the things we both got was closure," Paukovich said. "It's a true credit to him. He actually came up to me and was basically like, 'Hey, things happen. It's not going to be an issue.'
"Obviously, I apologized -- as much as I could at that point. We talked probably five minutes about it, and that was it. Ever since then, any talk we've had has been as teammates and friends."
After sitting out the season following his injury, Bina bounced back strong for the Fighting Sioux and is now playing professionally in Germany. He was named an ECHL All-Star last season for Las Vegas before leaving for Europe.
"The thing I'm most thankful for is he was able to continue his career," Paukovich said. "He's healthy, and he's still able to do what he loves."
