Reaching the Goal

A Massena hockey star scores his childhood dream…and wants to score again

Story by Benjamin Pomerance

At age three, Zach Bogosian had a goal. He didn't know it yet, not really, not at an age when watching the Zamboni is far more important than knowing the final score of your youth league game. Yet even in those earliest moments, the Massena, N.Y., native believes he had his lifetime goal lined up, set squarely in his crosshairs like an unsuspecting opponent about to be checked into the boards. "I can't remember a time without playing hockey," Bogosian explains, "so it's just something that has always been a part of me, of who I am. It's what I love, so it makes sense that I've always had that dream."

That dream. The dream of young boys who strap on skates and pads at age three, who turn their parents into weekend warriors and their cars into sports-bag jungles, who learn every back road and backwoods arena in New York, Vermont and Ontario before they turn 10. The dream of high school kids who decide to leave home and play in prep school, who become adults in ninth grade, who discover the ice rink is their most cutthroat classroom with the toughest tests and the greatest rewards. The dream of 11th graders who sign with a junior league team somewhere in Ontario, who match up with and beat 20-year-olds at the age of 14, who leave body and soul and heart on the ice every night — partly because some National Hockey League scout might be watching, but mostly because they know no other way to play. Like children around the world who love their sport with a passion only they can understand, Zach Bogosian wanted to live the dream. He wanted to go pro.

"Even now that draft weekend's come and gone, it still doesn't feel like it's really happened to me."

Yet the Zach Bogosian story is different from most. Unlike most of those youth hockey hopefuls, this skater's dream has come true. Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers with the third overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, the defenseman who learned the game at Massena's local rink now has the chance to star at Atlanta's Phillips Arena. A lifetime of working, of learning, of fine-tuning and honing his skills at the game he loves has finally paid the dividends Bogosian always wished for. At age 17, the self-proclaimed "sports fanatic" has already reached the goal.

"It feels a little unusual, to tell you the truth," Bogosian says of his recent draft selection. "I mean, you always talk about being in the pros, what you're going to do when you get to the pros, but you never really think it's going to happen. Even now that draft weekend's come and gone, it still doesn't feel like it's really happened to me."

In fact, the average passerby would never know that the 6'2" adolescent was the first-round pick of an NHL team, not unless they broached the subject first. Despite being one of the most highly touted defenders in the country, Bogosian sounds almost embarrassed when speaking of his on-ice successes. When asked about his draft day experience, the new Thrasher thanks more people than an Oscar winner, lauding praise on everyone from his parents to his coaches to the Atlanta franchise, finally concluding with one simple statement — "It was great" — to describe his reaction to the momentous occasion.  

It's not that Bogosian is shy, guarded or aloof. He simply prefers to talk about other things, like his parents, whom he says "are excited about my selection, but don't really talk to anyone about it, because they want to keep me humble". Or his brother, Aaron, now playing Division I hockey for St. Lawrence University. Or his favorite NHL player, Detroit Red Wings blueliner Chris Chelios. "The guy's what, 46 years old now?" Bogosian says of Chelios, "and he's still out there every night, battling in the NHL. That shows he's doing something right. I just hope I can do the same thing he does."

There are those who think he can. Jeff Twohey, general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes, has seen plenty of talented players come and go. "In our league," Twohey says, "it's like a mini-NHL. You have to be among the best to succeed here." Few people, the general manager says, have succeeded like a certain teenager from Massena. "Zach is a really special player," Twohey states, a note of pride evident in his voice. "He has speed, size and strength all in one package. But more than that, he has tremendous competitiveness and commitment. Simply put, he has what it takes to go places in the game of hockey."

"Obviously, we're proud of what Zach Bogosian has accomplished," Petes assistant general manager Aaron Garfat adds. "He's a talented, hard-working individual, and the NHL scouts saw that. We wish him all the best in his NHL career."

Of course, the story of Bogosian's career can be written by only one person — a certain defenseman who wields a hockey stick like Hemingway wielded a pen. Those who have matched up against Bogosian know a fierce competitor emerges whenever the he hits the ice, leaving opponents flat on their back against the hard-hitting North Country native. Coached in prep school by Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque and currently represented by Bobby Orr — arguably the greatest defender of all time — Bogosian has received no shortage of advice for playing his position. Combine that with a dogged work ethic Bogosian says he received from his parents, and you have the player who led Peterborough with 61 points last season, the only defenseman in the league to head his squad in scoring. "I'm biased," Twohey says, "but if it were me, I would've taken him first overall. That's nothing against the players who were drafted one and two. But Zach — he just is special, that's all."

More than anything, though, Bogosian likes to hit. Growing up, his "second sport" was lacrosse, an activity that gave him the opportunity to take out whatever aggressions he couldn't exert on the ice. "Especially 'box lacrosse,'" Bogosian says, the excitement evident in his voice. "It allows more leeway when it comes to hitting and cross-checking. You can really go out there and work hard and feel like you've done something at the end of a game." Again, he credits his family for his hard-nosed approach. "I think we're very competitive overall, and that's rubbed off on me," he explains. "I know if I go out there and work hard, good things will happen. That's the way I try to approach things."

Twohey agrees with his former star's assessment. "His first thought after signing his contract," the general manager recalls, "was renovating a space in his house to turn it into a gym, so he wouldn't have to travel to Ottawa every summer to train. He wasn't talking about buying a new car. He wanted to do something to improve his conditioning, to make sure he was ready to play every time he stepped onto the ice."

Now, with his first professional training camp almost at an end, he's trying to approach the first steps in his Thrasher career the same way. He's already enjoyed working out with the Atlanta players he's watched on TV, particularly perennial All-Star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, but never plans on shying away from some tough competition with the team's veterans. "I like going out there and working hard, matching up against the best players," Bogosian says. "It's a good feeling when you can play well against the people who are best at what they do. It's not meant to be disrespectful when I go hard against them. I actually consider it a sign of respect for what they've accomplished and the intensity they bring to the sport."

"Sometime in the future, he will be the captain of the Thrashers"

A certain Peterbough executive believes it won't be long before young players are looking up to Bogosian as a member of the NHL's elite. "Sometime in the future, he will be the captain of the Thrashers," Twohey says. "I'm sure of it. He's a good guy with tremendous talent and a work ethic that can't be beat. How can you get much better?"

If improvement is possible, though, Bogosian says he wants to find it. As of now, thoughts of captaincy are still far from the rookie's mind. At age 17, Bogosian has already reached the goal, but believes he still hasn't scored. "I haven't accomplished anything yet," he states bluntly. "Lots of people get drafted. I have to get out there and work hard just to win a spot on this team." He stops. "And maybe, as long as I keep working hard all the time, I'd like to play for a while in the NHL. But that's a long way away."

The goal is in sight. The determination is there. And Zach Bogosian, 17-year-old Thrasher from Massena, N.Y., is ready to score.

Have you ever seen Zach Bogosian play hockey?