Yerevan

Contrary to popular belief and hearsay in the Armenian community, NHL prospect Zack Kassian is not Armenian.

Per request to verify Kassian’s Armenian heritage, Rob Gagnon, public relations coordinator of the Windsor Spitfires, confirmed with Kassian that he is not Armenian.

As Armenians and Los Angeles Kings fans prepare for “Armenian Heritage Night” at Staples Center versus the Buffalo Sabres, rumors that Kassian is Armenian have spread like wildfire in the community as attending fans are under the impression that heritage night is in honor of the Sabres prospect as it was for Zach Bogosian of the Atlanta Thrashers the year before.

It is merely a coincidence that the team that drafted Kassian 13th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft is the opponent for the Jan. 21 game. The Kings are simply building on last year’s success of Armenian Heritage Night, said Andy Liu, marketing and promotions coordinator for the Kings.

“Promotional nights are scheduled well in advance to the start of the regular season and specific dates are chosen that fits within the Los Angeles Kings schedule internally,” Liu said.

Websites like Wikipedia and various other forums and message boards on the Internet, such as LetsGoKings.com, have widely speculated and inaccurately reported that the Ontario native is Armenian.

On January 10, Kassian was traded from the Peterborough Petes to the Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Jeff Twohey, general manager of the Petes, was also surprised when asked to comment on trading the “Armenian” Kassian.

“The only Armenian player we’ve had is Zach Bogosian,” Twohey said. Bogosian also played for the Petes as an amateur before signing with the Thrashers.

Twohey continued: “Zack Kassian was a good kid that we all had a great relationship with, there was no issue with him. It’s always hard to trade a young player that you personally like. He was a big part of our team and brought an element that will be hard to replace in terms of toughness. He has NHL potential and I have no doubt Zack Kassian will play in the NHL. I am confident in Zack and I really want him to take off in Windsor and get his contract.”

Yerevan Magazine will be at Staples Center in the Bob Miller Press Box for Armenian Heritage Night. Check back for a full-length report under our Sports Blog. To read about Zach Bogosian, the only Armenian player currently in the NHL, check out the Fall 2009 issue of Yerevan Magazine.