Bogosian thrilled to suit up for Leafs
He’s fresh off a Stanley Cup win with Tampa Bay
Zach Bogosian learned all about Leafs Nation while playing for the Peterborough Petes.
The Massena, N.Y., native signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs just days after winning his first Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“To sign with the Leafs,” said Bogosian, in a recent media availability, “every hockey player it probably crosses their mind a few times in their childhood because of how storied the franchise is. I’m super excited to be a part of it.”
The six-foot-three, 226pound right-shot defenceman said he chose Toronto because he feels they have a chance to win.
“I thought I could be a good fit,” he said. “I’m super excited to be part of such a skilled group and storied franchise. There are so many high-end players, all the big name players — you could name 10 of them — playing against them the last few years in Buffalo and knowing how good they are I thought I could come in and bring what I bring to the table and try to help the team win. They’ve been so close the last few years and obviously (GM) Kyle (Dubas) has gone out and got a few other guys to try to set us up in the best possible position.”
Bogosian, 30, said he learned about the passion of Leaf fans during his time with the Sabres when they flocked to games in Buffalo.
“It’s a great fan base. I had a chance to play my junior hockey in Peterborough so I obviously know how big Leafs Nation is,” he said.
It was not only Bogosian’s first Cup, but the first time in his 12-year NHL career he’s even made the playoffs. That included stints with the Atlanta Thrashers, who selected him third overall in the 2008 draft, Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo.
It came after the Sabres bought out Bogosian’s contract 19 games into this past season. Tampa signed the free agent and Bogosian played eight regular season games with the Lightning before playing 20 playoff games, registering four assists.
It was an emotional rollercoaster, being released by a team near the bottom of the standings and then contributing to the NHL champions.
“The start of 2019 for me was a little chaotic,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure what was in store for me in the future. Leaving Buffalo and going down to Tampa and going on the run we did, the way we did it, was a ton of fun and a great experience.
It helped him regain his confidence.
“Things didn’t go my way in Buffalo. That’s well-documented. It is what it is. I enjoyed my time there and met some lifelong friends I’ll never lose contact with. That’s the positive I took out of Buffalo.
“When I got to Tampa I just tried to find my game. I thought I did, especially in the playoffs. You get down there and you’re excited and then COVID happened and there was a full stop to the season. Once I got back in the lineup and training camp and going through the roundrobin games and playoffs I thought I got my confidence back. I played as hard as I could and my body was finally healthy which it hadn’t been in a while. That’s also well-documented.
“I’m definitely looking to come in and play hard and compete every night. That’s the driving factor in my game. We have so many skilled forwards I just want to move the puck up to them and give them time and space to make plays. Killing plays in the D-zone and being hard to play against are things that when I talked to Kyle and (head coach) Sheldon (Keefe) they’re looking for.”