CHICAGO — Zach Bogosian admits it took him some time for the shock to subside.

The defenceman had spent the first seven seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization and went to the rink one morning last February to find out he was part of a blockbuster deal that sent him to the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s a tough thing to go through emotionally,” Bogosian said Friday, prior to a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. “We want to say that we’re as tough as they come, but there’s an emotional side of things that some people don’t understand that goes into the game of hockey. That was probably the hardest thing, saying goodbye to those guys.”

Chosen third overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, Bogosian will step onto the ice at MTS Centre as a visiting player and he’s given that a bit of thought leading into Sunday’s matinee.

“It will be cool. Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of attention around the game,” said Bogosian, who had one goal and five points in 23 games this season going into Friday’s action. “Generally, most of the guys are just going to treat it as a normal game, but there’s going to be a lot of excitement, a lot of emotions. I’m looking forward to it.

“It will be nice to go back. I really enjoyed my time there and really bonded with the great guys in that room. I still keep in contact with quite a few of them.” Bogosian, 25, is enjoying life with the Sabres, though landing on injured reserve with a lower-body injury after getting hurt in training camp was a bit frustrating.

“There’s been a lot of changes. When I came in last year, it was a whole new coaching staff, a whole new team,” said Bogosian, who is now playing roughly five hours from his hometown of Massena, N.Y., which allows his family to get to watch him play live regularly. “I got hurt and was out quite a bit longer than anticipated and I was behind a bit there coming back. I’m still getting my feet under me and I seem to be in a little bit of a different role this year, but you try to help the team out in any way possible and you try to look at what’s in front of you. It’s been a good transition, though.”

Bogosian said being part of the Jets team that returned to the NHL after a 15-year absence was something he’ll always remember.

“That first year that we were back was so much fun,” said Bogosian. “To see a city get a team that wanted one so badly. Just the way we were embraced in the community was a pretty cool thing. That was one of my fonder memories.”

But after investing so much sweat equity, wasn’t it tough to see the Jets qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs and not be part of it?

“It was good to see them get in the playoffs,” said Bogosian, who is still looking for his first playoff appearance. “Obviously, you want to play in the playoffs but I was very excited about coming to Buffalo and didn’t think I was missing out on anything. I looked at it as a new chapter, a new opportunity in my career. I paid attention a little bit (to the Jets). I was curious to see how some of the guys did.

“A lot of the guys who played in that series, that was their first taste of the playoffs and I was with some of them for seven years. It was cool to see that. I don’t keep close tabs on the standings and how they’re doing, it’s more about checking in with the guys to see how they’re doing off the ice.”

ken.wiebe@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @WiebeSunSports