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Getting To Know Zach Bogosian
Posted by:
Ben Wright on
June 20, 2008 at
10:21PM EST
Sorry for the lack of updates from Ottawa but the wireless connection got
shot down. I'm piggy-backing on one that isn't supposed to work so who knows how
long I'll have it.
Don Waddell is understandably excited about the Bogosian pick and is
confident that Zach can adjust quickly to the NHL game.
"We're really excited about adding Zach to our organization," he told me. "We
had him ranked as being one of the top players of the draft this year and being
able to add a defenseman of his caliber to our existing group is very exciting.
We expect Zach to come in to our hockey club this year and compete for a roster
spot in camp. There's no reason to think that he can't play for our team in the
'08-09 season."
True story- Zach Bogosian's first act when he left the draft floor was to
find a men's room and answer nature's call, so to speak. After regaining a
sufficient comfort level Zach headed to the interview room to talk to the press.
There might not be a lot of Atlanta media here in Ottawa (it's limited to me if
I count) but the third overall pick is a big deal no matter where he's going to
play.
NHL.com did a video interview with Zach and a one-on-one with one of their
writers so I'm not going to try to reinvent the wheel by writing another feature
on the kid. There'll be lots of time for that later. Instead here are the things
I learned from the 20 minutes or so that I followed him around while he talked
to various media outlets.
- If pressed to compare himself to another NHL player he says he likes to
think he battles as hard as Chris Chelios.
- He has also been compared to Chris Pronger and he says that it probably
comes from "responding to certain situations in the same ways that
Pronger does." Zach is presumably referring to his own vaunted mean streak.
- Bogosian says he considers himself friends with most of the guys he's
met through the combine and the draft but he says it all ends when he steps
on the ice. He wants people to be afraid to go into corners with him.
- he met Scott Stevens when he was 10. He's been close to Bobby Orr since
he was 13. He was tutored by Bourque when he was 14. Of those Hall of Fame
players he considers Orr to be the biggest influence.
- All of his buddies at home play on a junior lacrosse team so that's his
favorite sport to watch other than hockey. He had a pair of season passes
for the team and performed the official ball drop at a game this season.
- Bogosian has played a lot of box lacrosse every off-season and he says
it helps bring out his mean streak. He also credits lacrosse for helping
hone his hand-eye coordination.
- It was Bobby Orr who told him to keep playing sports that he liked
during the summer. "He told me that if I focused on hockey all summer I'd go
crazy." Zach took his advice and continued to play lacrosse, soccer and
baseball.
- Bogosian has been getting text messages form Arturs Kulda (his
Peterborough defense partner and fellow Thrashers prospect) all week asking
him if he was ready to be a Thrasher. Zach said he's run up a pretty
sizeable cell phone bill this week so Arturs (he goes by Arthur by the way)
is more likely to get an email than a phone call since Kulda is back in
Latvia for a few weeks until prospect camp. Zach will be getting in touch
with him to get the scoop on John Anderson though.
- Bogosian is excited about meeting some fellow future Thrashers at
prospect camp. Having Kulda there with him will make it even easier for him.
Don't expect it to be all fun and games though- he's already looking forward
to the competing against the other prospects.
- Last week I asked Thrashers fans to submit questions for our draftees.
Someone wanted to know if they had tattoos. Bogosian has one- a 4-5 inch
cross on the back of his shoulder. I'll ask him about the significance of it
when there isn't a pack or reporters around him.
- Bogosian was asked if he'd keep wearing a visor when he gets to the NHL.
He said the NHLPA met with the draftees this week to talk about safety and
Zach said he doesn't see any reason to stop wearing a visor since he's worn
one his whole life, especially given the number of eye and face injuries in
the NHL this past season.
- Doughty and Bogosian got to know each other fairly well through the
combine and draft week and had a bit of a rivalry going over who would get
drafted higher. In case it isn't clear by now, Bogosian has a strong
competitive streak.
- Bogosian attended Culver Academy for two years, moving away form home
when he was 14. That was where he met Ray Bourque and he credits Culver for
helping him mature more quickly both as a person and as a player.
- Bogosian has known Todd White since he was a kid. White played college
hockey at Clarkson and Bogosian was friends with the coach's son so he hung
around the team a fair bit. White live in Ottawa during the off-season and
there's a good chance the two will get together for some summer workouts
since Bogosian only lives about 90 minutes from Ottawa.
- Because of Massena New York's proximity to Ottawa Bogosian grew up a
Sens fan. When he was 14-15 he got the chance to work out with some of the
Senators including Daniel Alfredsson and Wade Redden, as well as Flyers
center Danny Briere. If you're keeping a running tally that's at least seven
quality NHL players that Bogosian knew by the time
he was 15.
- If I had to rank all of the prospects I've seen this week on confidence
and poise Bogosian would get the top grade. He's confident without being
arrogant and he doesn't get rattled or nervous. You can expect more of the
same when he hits the ice.
Thrashers fans should be very, very excited about Zach Bogosian. If LA had
decided to go in another direction and draft someone other than Doughty or
Bogosian I think Atlanta would have taken Bogosian anyway. His combination of
size, meanness, competitiveness, skill and pedigree made him just too good to
pass up. When you consider that Doughty's defense and conditioning aren't as
strong as Bogosian's it would have been an easy choice.
(14) Comments
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Posted by: Anonymous on June 20, 2008 10:28PM EST
TSN said McGuire: This is a gigantically positive move for Atlanta. This guy's got it all going on, and I can't say enough good things about him. This is a cover-up pick for a bad deal, though, when Atlanta traded Braydon Coburn for Alexei Zhitnik.
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Posted by: Anonymous on June 20, 2008 10:32PM EST
McGuire: This is a gigantically positive move for Atlanta. This guy's got it all going on, and I can't say enough good things about him. This is a cover-up pick for a bad deal, though, when Atlanta traded Braydon Coburn for Alexei Zhitnik.
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Posted by: Ben Wright on June 20, 2008 10:34PM EST
As for me, we have a new coach and a new top-notch prospect. I'm turning the page on last season and looking forward, not at whatever happened in the past.
This is a time to be positive about the team.
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Posted by: Anonymous on June 20, 2008 10:54PM EST
The kids not even 18
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Posted by: Frank L on June 20, 2008 10:55PM EST
I am all for being positive but it is hard to belive that all of the press is wrong and that Don is right it is equally hard to buy that every one lies on poor Don like Holik and Hossa and anyone else that won't go along with his line of crap.
I hope the team can turn around inspite of having the worst GM in the last 25 years.
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Posted by: Jim on June 20, 2008 10:59PM EST
They said it will take a few years on him so you role the dice some pan out and some don't
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Posted by: Justin on June 20, 2008 11:11PM EST
I don't think I've ever been so excited about a pick. At this moment in our history, he is the perfect pick for the team.
Sadly, I'm not too thrilled with Leveille. I wonder if Tikhonov was the plan (and really hope he was). I really wanted us to move up. In my wildest dreams, I wanted Schenn, Hodgson or Teubert. The more plausible ones were Cuma and Tikhonov. I guess I'll let you know what I think about Leveille in four or five years.
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Posted by: jordan on June 20, 2008 11:23PM EST
don talked alot about free agents. Sounds to me like were going after someone big.
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Posted by: lordstan57 on June 21, 2008 12:16AM EST
Sounds to me like Bogo ia a good QUALITY pick. A young man of high character, work ethic, and POISE. If you judge a man by the company he keeps, then this kid is a keeper for sure!
Might be a bit unrealistic to expect him to contribute this season but what the heck..... let the boy play!
We've certainly seen worse.
Between the DW's coments and the 29th selection, I'd say we're going to go after a high profile free-agent, or a trade of some sort. We need somebody who can come in NOW!!! not in 3-4 yrs.
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Posted by: gamera on June 21, 2008 12:18AM EST
thanks for the info, ben. i'm excited to see how he fits in and am looking forward to next season. why anyone would complain about signing a top notch dman, i don't know! i'm with you on being positive about the team.
otoh, it doesn't seem like folks are too keen on our second pick, but i haven't done much research there so i'll reserve judgement.
thanks again for your insight and enjoy ottawa! have some poutine ;)
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Posted by: david on June 21, 2008 2:37PM EST
Everyone Leave Waddle alone!
In our fist season we had 14 wins , How many of you can say that?
In 9 years he has GMed 1 Playoff berth and managed to play 4 games, again how many of you can claim that?
It just seems some people are demanding positive results that they them selves have not reached, and seem to think that just because some is the general manager, that they ought to be held to some level of accountability.
Good JOB DON,
but seriously, Go Thrashers!
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Posted by: Jim on June 21, 2008 2:44PM EST
What big time free agent would come here.
Free agents want two things money that Don only pays to old lossers like White, Klee, Moose, Dafoe, Ruchin While players like Savard, Audet, Brunnett, Sutton who can do the job Don gets rid of. The other thing free agents want is to play where they have a chance to win the cup.
Now I know that all of the Don signs my pay check so I better support him faithful think that this team has a good chance of winning the cup this year with all the super keen moves Donny made but I would rather listen to some one who knows some thing about hockey Marian Hossa. In his hockey news interview Marian did not think the thrashers had a snow balls chance of making the play offs I think he knows a little more than any one here.
So lets stop with all of the talk about free agents Don has a almost full team of almost no talent to support Kovy and Kari. And no major center and right winger will come here to play even if Don would pay them and this team needs no less than two guys who will score 40 plus goals each to give this team any chance and when has Don made that kind of move? Never.
So for all of you glass half full guys ( it can only be half full when the glass has something in it) Please look at USA todays season reprot or TSN's Season report on the thrashers and tell us how everyone is wrong and good old what is this guy doing to keep his job Waddell is right
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Posted by: Anonymous on June 24, 2008 11:52AM EST
He went to Cushing Academy not Culver.
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Posted by: Maxwell on July 15, 2008 7:01AM EST
Happy 18th Birthday Zach!!! The Maxwells
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