Yahoo Sports Devils Q&A: 5 Random Questions With Curtis Lazar
Every NHL player has their own unique story and perspective, and I think that is why this "Five Random Questions" segment has been a joy to put together.
After hearing from New Jersey Devils forwards Stefan Noesen and Jesper Bratt, I knew whose story I wanted to hear next.
At 29 years old, Lazar has been through it. Drafted 17th overall in 2013, his career has taken him from the NHL to the AHL, back to the NHL, and all around North America, from Boston to Vancouver.
After the team's most recent morning skate, The Hockey News sat down with Lazar for a mini Q&A, during which he opened up about his love for the game, career trajectory, and more.
The Hockey News: Lisa Kudrow has publicly spoken about how it took a few years to settle into her Friends character, Phoebe Buffay. How long did it take you to get comfortable and understand what it takes to be an NHLer, day in and day out?
Curtis Lazar: Still not comfortable, and it has been 11 years. I think that is the beast of the NHL. The game has evolved so much, and everyone is kind of knocking at the door to take your job and whatnot. It forces you to be at your best each and every game.
I started when I was 19. (I remember) practices were intimidating. Guys are going; the execution is on another level, but then you settle in and realize how to manage yourself on a day-to-day basis. When it comes down to it, no, I am never satisfied. You are never comfortable. You are always pushing and looking for more. I think that from a team standpoint, too, it is the same thing. You are always looking; even if you are on a win streak, you can't get complacent. You have to keep pushing because everyone around you is getting better.
THN Follow-Up: Did adjusting to your role take a while, and when did you become comfortable in that role?
Lazar: We have touched on this before. (I was a) high draft pick, drafted to probably be a scorer or a top-six guy. I wrestled with it for probably a good year at least (thinking), is that still a possibility, or at what point do I flip that switch and mindset and embrace what I am. I love my role. I know I am not the guy who is going to be out there on the power play and all that stuff. I think you guys know I love what I do. I am completely comfortable in my game.
Honestly, the biggest turning point in my career was spending a year with the Stockton Heat (in the American Hockey League). Going back and having some proper time to develop. When you go down there, that is when you are playing 20 to 25 minutes a night. You make a mistake but get put out there again and can keep going. For me to then sign with the Buffalo Sabres that next year was kind of like, all right, let's do something here. I played my best hockey, which led to going to the Boston Bruins and playing some more good hockey. I got a contract with the Vancouver Canucks, but it didn't go well, then I ended up here. I know what I am. I know what I can bring and how valuable I can be.
THN: Is there a particular moment in your career that you would love to show to your younger self to say this is going to be you in the future?
Lazar: It is probably that whole year in Stockton.
It would have been so easy to have that poor me attitude. Point fingers and say they didn't manage me well, or this or that. I mean, even if it is true or not, it doesn't really matter. Everyone has the power to control themselves, their work ethic, habits, and what they want to get out of it. That is why people in life set goals. You want to follow your dreams and all those kind of cliche things.
Going through that year, I wanted to prove those doubters wrong, knowing that I am a full-time NHL and that I am effective. Again, I am not going to be the guy in the headlines or anything by any means, but what I do is valuable to the team. So, that whole season of not packing it in and still being here today.
THN: Was there ever a moment in your career when you started to lose your love for the game?
Lazar: Absolutely.
As soon as that passion and having fun disappear, because those are the backbones, especially for myself, it is a very slippery slope.
Let's put it this way: The best coaches I have worked with were my family. I worked with some mental coaches on the side until I truly embraced coming to the rink every day and having fun. That was a little bit earlier on (in my career). Again, you are (riding) such a high getting drafted, playing in Ottawa as a teenager, and then you bounce around. I have been through it all, so looking back now, I realize it has made me a lot stronger. I think that I am valuable in the sense I can help other guys, too. If I see those situations arising and if they need to talk about it, and they don't think that anyone understands, I like to think that I do (understand).
THN: What has hockey given you since you were drafted in 2013?
Lazar: Hockey has given me everything.
The opportunity to travel around North America, call different places home, and raise a family. To have the support of my family, my wife, and my kids. The best thing is being able to share this with my kids.
Each and every year, you go to training camp with that goal of winning the Stanley Cup and that is kind of what drives you throughout. You adopt the family within the dressing room and at the rink, and then when you go home, you have your family at home, so having that cloud of support has helped me get through everything. It is the best job in the world, it really is.
THN: At this point, does hockey feel like a job to you, or is it still your passion that you have had since you were a kid?
Lazar: It is (my passion). I think that is what has allowed me to keep going because my backbone is to always have fun. That is what I tell kids, and I tell Owen that, too, who is hockey-obsessed right now. I go, 'What is the number one rule in hockey?' He says, 'No high-sticking.' I say, 'That is wrong, it's have fun, no high-sticking is a close second.'
You have to have that passion because if you enjoy what you are doing, you won't work a day in your life. I love it. It is not always easy, but we are truly blessed to have this lifestyle.
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