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Get to know Lightning’s Zach Bogosian

Did you know Bogosian’s wife was also a professional athlete? Also, why he hasn’t told his daughter about Disney World.
 
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian (24)battles Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Zach Hyman (11) to control the puck during second period action at Amalie Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 in Tampa.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian (24)battles Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Zach Hyman (11) to control the puck during second period action at Amalie Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 in Tampa. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
Published Feb. 26, 2020|Updated Feb. 27, 2020

TAMPA — Zach Bogosian is one of the newest Lightning players. He adds depth on the blue line. These things we know. But who is he as a person?

He’s not the only professional athlete in the family

Bogosian is married to a retired soccer player. Bianca D’Agostino played two seasons for the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League. She also played on the under-23 national team that won the 2011 Four Nations Tournament.

Related: The Lightning have now lost three straight regulation games for the first time in two years

D’Agostino played college soccer at Penn State and Wake Forest. She played for the Atlanta Beat of Women’s Professional Soccer before the league folded.

He hasn’t told his daughter about Disney World

Bogosian’s 4-year-old daughter, Mila, is excited to move to Florida, he said, but that’s because she enjoyed the family’s trip to Naples over the bye week. She has no idea that Disney World is so close to her new home.

Mila is fully obsessed with Disney, especially Frozen and Moana, but her parents don’t want that fervor to spread to her younger siblings quite yet.

Bogosian said he figures once the rest of his family moves to Tampa (expected in a few weeks once he finds a place to live), a trip will be in order.

He is from a very small town

When we say “small town,” we really mean it. Massena, N.Y., has an estimated population of about 10,000, according to censusreporter.org. (For comparison’s sake, the same website has Lutz’s population over double Massena’s at 21,000.)

Bogosian’s parents and one of his brothers still live there, and he owns property in his hometown. The family spent Christmas there this year, he said, Bogosian and his immediate family have spent their past few offseasons in Minnesota, where he trains.

His small town is also nearly in Canada. Massena is only about an hour and a half drive from Ottawa. It’s five hours from Buffalo and more than six to New York City.

He has a varied taste in music

Bogosian said he chooses his music according to the setting. If he’s in the car by himself, he picks American folk, rock, maybe country. Leading up to game time, he turns on EDM (electronic dance music).

Related: Erik Cernak returned without missing a game after a cringe-worthy injury

“But if I’m at home, it’s more of a relaxing vibe,” he said. “I don’t need my kids getting all jacked up at 9 in the morning.”

Mila, however, has found a way around that. She knows to call out “Alexa, play top dance music” and that gets the household going.

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He is one of one

Bogosian is the first player of Armenian descent in the NHL. His great-grandfather left the country at age 16 due to the Armenian Genocide.