Armenian Heritage Night: Atlanta Trashers’ Zach Bogosian Makes History by Being First Armenian in NHL

Isabel Karamanukyan
zabelik@ucla.edu

I don’t think one night could have meant more to the Armenian community than did February 16th, 2009. It was an ordinary Monday night for some people, but not for Southern California Armenians. Hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike came together with one common cause: the first Armenian to ever play in the NHL. And to top it all off, he was born in the 90’s. A mere 18 year old was to carry an entire nation on his shoulders that Monday night. It can be argued that there are more Armenians in southern California than there are in the motherland, and Zach Bogosian, at least for one night, carried the spirit of an entire heritage.

As Zach Bogosian’s name was announced over the loud speaker, the crowd roared loud enough to be heard all the way to Yerevan. The Staples Center erupted in a blur of yeragooyn…never had I seen more red, blue, and orange being waved so proudly and with such excitement. As I looked up and into my father’s eyes, a tear rolled down his cheek expressing to me more than words ever could. To him, and without a doubt the rest of the Armenians in that building, Zach Bogosian had done it. He had crossed the line that so many before him couldn’t. He made it as a professional athlete in America, carrying with him the hope of a people. Even for those fans that weren’t Armenian, the enthusiasm and the passion was felt across all hearts.

Armenian Heritage Night at the Staples Center was amazing from all aspects. Hockey fans witnessed an unbelievable comeback by the kings from a 3-goal deficit to tie the game with 2 seconds left and take it in to overtime. The energy of the fans was reciprocated by athletes from both teams raising their level of play. The night felt almost magical. With euphoric hearts and a little bit of help from Mr. Vodka (another Armenian pastime), fans made their way over to Club Nokia, where R-mean awaited to entertain them.

Overall, we, as Armenians, made our presence felt that night. Whether it was the sunflower seeds scattered across the floor or Harout Pamboukjian’s “Hey Jan Ghapama” blasting at Club Nokia, the sheer number of Armenians that were present captured the true essence of what Armenian heritage really means. It is the coming together of a group of people to celebrate the success of one of their own, Zach Bogosian, the first Armenian to ever play in the NHL.