Curtis Lazar has been highly touted since a young age but remains humble and determined in his pursuit of excellence. He’s already a two-time Western Hockey League champion, a gold medal winner for Canada, and a Memorial Cup Champion. Now Lazar has his sights set on the National Hockey League and earning his place with the Ottawa Senators.
The 2013 first-round pick joined us recently to discuss his time playing in the Okanagan, the Edmonton Oil Kings, the road back to a Memorial Cup, the loss of a teammate, and his future with the Ottawa Senators.
Thanks for taking the time, Curtis. This has obviously been a packed summer for you. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Growing up in Salmon Arm, did you always dream about playing in the NHL? What drew you to hockey at a young age?
I remember watching baseball on TV and that was my go-to sport back then. I got on the ice and that’s really when the hockey dream started to become a reality. My parents put me in figure skating for one year and I really credit that a lot for my ability to skate out there. I would always go out onto the ice with my Canucks jersey on and I was a little stubborn back then. Once I got a stick in my hands and started playing organized hockey, I just took off.
The community helped me along the way because I was able to play against players older than me all the way up until I got held back a year, more for my safety. I played three years of Atom in Salmon Arm and that’s where I developed my skills and my leadership qualities that make me who I am today.
Come on people vote for Salmon Arm to become Hockeyville! It's where My hockey journey begun! http://t.co/3Cd5hDidcl pic.twitter.com/d4DHYrZTAv
— Curtis Lazar (@CurtisLazar95) March 16, 2014
What was it like dealing with the expectations of being highly touted at a young age?
I have to credit a lot of that to my parents. They taught me just to be humble throughout the process. Growing up I wasn’t always the go-to guy but as things got more and more serious, I began to realize that I had an actual shot at making it. I think it’s all about the composure that I have on and off the ice. I like the pressure situations. That’s the most fun and you get to seize the opportunity. Everyone has their opinions and the truth is not everyone’s going to like you but I try to make as many people as I can relate to my experiences because I’m just a kid living the dream.
In your first full year in Edmonton with the Oil Kings (2011-12), you had a tremendous season, WHL champions, and made it to the Memorial Cup but you came up short. What did you take away from that experience that helped you in 2014?
Yeah, it was huge. Our team almost felt like we dropped the ball there in 2012 and were a little too content with winning the Western Hockey League and being a young franchise. To knock off a very good Portland team, that was kind of our Memorial Cup. It was a learning curve.
I think eight guys on our team this year were back from Shawinigan. We sat down before it started and talked about what the process was like. It’s a short tournament and it’s a matter of just getting after it. You can’t let the distractions get to you. The two words that describe our team this year are resilience and character. We just found a way to win even though we weren’t the most skilled team. I think Guelph were heavily favoured. We just knew to play our game, play to our strengths and it was incredible what we were able to achieve.
Looking back at the WHL Finals this year, you were up 3-1 on Portland, they come back and force a Game 7. What was the leadership dynamic like in the dressing room? What was the thought process like going into Game 7 in Portland?
Our team was so close and I’m more of a vocal leader in the dressing room. One thing I give a lot of credit to is the unity we had in our dressing room. Everyone gets along with each other and hangs out together away from the rink. We’re a bunch of jokesters and nothing really fazed us.
We knew in the Portland series when we were down 2-0 right off the bat that we weren’t playing bad hockey so it was just a matter of staying the course and keep grinding away. Of course Game 6 was very disappointing to lose because we had two three-goal leads that game and it was on home ice. We really just dropped the ball that game. Griffin Reinhart stood up on the bus and as soon as we got to Portland, we knew we had it.
It’s funny because we shared the same plane with Portland and they were acting like they already had it in the bag. We didn’t like that and maybe karma did its thing. We just focused on ourselves and we were either going to fail or succeed together. We always had unsung heroes stepping up and that’s what made it so special.
Now you guys had an unbelievable Game 7, win the WHL Championship but you’ve got to shift gears pretty quick to the Memorial Cup. What was your team’s approach going in to play teams you hadn’t played before?
That’s what makes the Memorial Cup one of the toughest trophies in all of sports to win. You go there and you don’t know what to expect. The Quebec league’s style of play is completely different from ours out West and the Ontario league has a bit of both. It was an adjustment to go in there and play Guelph in our first game and we lost it but we took a lot of confidence from it. We knew we could compete with the elite teams even though we were the underdogs. We said there were three elite teams and the Edmonton Oil Kings.
There was a flu bug going through our team that not a lot of people knew about and we were pretty banged up but there was no quit in our team. Whenever we needed a spark, there was always someone there to supply it.
You scored a triple OT winner in the Semi-Finals. Talk us through that experience.
I have to go back a little bit further. I was kicking myself because I went out to block a shot and I was unable to get in the way which led to them scoring. So I went into that overtime with a little extra motivation to get it back for my team and the hockey gods were with me. I had never scored an overtime goal in junior hockey before until that night. I saw the puck go in and I blacked out! I was like “Holy cow! That actually happened!” You can’t even believe it. That overtime was crazy and Tristan Jarry stood on his head for us. Everyone was doing there part and it could have been anyone that put that puck in the net. I guess I was just johnny on the spot.
How do you come down from that high and get ready for the final against Guelph?
We finished that triple overtime and the amount of Domino’s pizza we crushed was outstanding.
Luckily we had a day off there and we sat in our lounge at the hotel, guys got treatment, we played ping-pong, and we got our fluids. The feeling around the team was great but you could tell we weren’t done yet. We wanted another shot at Guelph and they had a lot of time off. We knew if we just kept battling and got a lead, we would have a very good chance at winning because they hadn’t been in that adversity type situation in the tournament.
You talked about failing and succeeding together. What was the feeling in the dressing room like after you’d succeeded together and won the Memorial Cup?
You’re so exhausted but you’re so happy. We climbed the mountain and got to the top. We won the Memorial Cup and that’s something that no one is ever going to be able to take away from us. It even goes deeper than that. We lost our good friend there Kristians Pelss a summer ago. I knew him very well and a lot of the older guys really rallied around him and knew that he was with us. To be able to get it not only for ourselves but for the city of Edmonton, all of our supporters and families … you can’t really describe the feeling.
You’re a first round pick and you’ve played with a lot of top picks over the years, guys like Sam Reinhart. What do you think some of the characteristics that differentiate you guys? What takes you to that next level?
The big thing for me is to smile and have fun. That’s my thing. I love the game and if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t still be playing. Getting to know Sam over the years, he’s so quiet but he’s so determined. He’s so detailed in his workouts, his on-ice habits and he gets the results he needs. Those are the things you have to focus. For the kids growing up, if you can look in the mirror and say you did everything you could to help your team win, that’s a successful day.
What was it like to hear your named called on Draft Day?
That was another experience that I can’t really compare anything to. People always talk about how stressful and nerve wracking the draft is but I didn’t feel that at all. I was sitting there and you battle with and against your draft class for years. We’re all related in the sense that we’re trying to achieve the same goal. Sitting there and seeing the Drouin’s, MacKinnon’s, Morin’s and Horvat’s get picked, I was happy for all of them because I know how much they put into it. It’s not a matter of “oh, he got picked higher than me.” I went to a great organization. I remember hearing my name called and I blacked out, I couldn’t stop smiling because I was so close to my goal.
You recently got voted the hardest working player at the Senators development camp. What’s the organization like? Have any players helped you out?
It’s awesome. The Senators have a young farm team in Binghamton and I’ve gotten to know the guys over the past year and they’re great. We’re a family, we help each other along the way and we always know how to have fun.
At the camp this year, I really got to know Mark Stone and talk about his time in the Western Hockey League. You look at someone like Cody Ceci and he’s a beast. He’s so humble and so respected because he does things the right way. He doesn’t try to cheat the process and he treats everyone how they should be.
The camp itself was gruelling but I just tried to relax and have fun with it.
Rookie Camp Selfie: Ben Harpur, Curtis Lazar & Vincent Dunn. #SensRooks pic.twitter.com/SmPkgRmBBM
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 11, 2014
Have you changed anything in your preparation to get ready for NHL competition?
The game itself has evolved a lot over the past few years. You have to train properly and eat right just to maintain that pace. You see the guys going to train with Gary Roberts, you see what they do and that’s what you have to do. I know I need to get bigger so it’s just a matter of eating right and training hard. I went to camp last year and I separated my shoulder being hit by Colin Greening. Those guys are bigger, they’re men and that’s what it’s all about. It’s more than just a game, it’s your occupation. Guys are fighting for their livings and want to put food on the table. You have to grow up fast and you have to mature or else you’re not going to be able to make it. The veteran guys like Chris Phillips and Chris Neil are great resources to have.
Take us back to that first training camp. Was it overwhelming?
I was a little wide-eyed in my first camp. Jason Spezza got injured so I was centering the first line in practice and I didn’t know what I was doing. I just didn’t want to mess up. But we’re all just humans, we’re just people and we make the same mistakes that other kids do. You just have to learn from them and move on.
That’s extremely well said. On a lighter note, we’re going to do a little Ottawa trivia here. What’s the new CFL team in Ottawa called?
That would be the Ottawa RedBlacks!
1 for 1. What is the city in Quebec directly across the river from Ottawa?
That is Gatineau.
2 for 2. Now this one is tough. This is a way back question. Who was the starting goalie on opening night when the Senators returned to Ottawa?
That’s funny, there’s actually a painting with the roster and they showed them but I can’t remember the name.
It was Peter Sidorkiewicz. That’s ok, you weren’t even born yet.
Yeah, I would NOT have gotten that!
2 for 3, not bad, not bad. What’s a questionable song on your iPod?
I don’t touch the iPod or the stereo in the room in Edmonton. In three years, I haven’t messed with it. The stuff I cannot stand listening to is Skrillex … I don’t know why I have it on my iPod but I do.
What are some of your favorite rinks to play in?
Growing up, the Salmon Arm rink is great. I love going there and seeing my old friends. The Civic Arena in Vernon is older but I have a lot of games and memories in that rink. In the WHL, I love going and playing in Kelowna in front of my family and friends. Calgary is always a hoot because it’s a rivalry. Vancouver’s fun. But nothing beats playing a game in Portland in the WHL Finals with 12,000 fans screaming at you.
Away from the rink, what do you do for fun?
I train out of Kelowna so you’ll probably find me out at the beach or at the lake.
What kind of community initiatives have you been involved in? How important do you think it is for players to get involved with the community?
I think it’s vital. I know for myself I visit the Salmon Arm hockey school every summer and try to give back. In Edmonton they do a great job with the community doing school visits and charity work. It’s big because the fans are giving you their support on the ice and we shouldn’t put ourselves on a pedestal. We’re part of the community just like them. I love going out to the schools and talking to the kids. Having that connection is important because they’re behind you the entire way. There’s nothing better than going on the ice, scoring a goal, looking up in the stands and actually being able to recognize some of the faces.
Curtis Lazar is an active member of Shnarped. Follow him there to keep up-to-date on how he’s doing and give him a pound for this great interview!
Mac Faulker currently runs Hockey Players 4 Kids. To find out more information visit hp4k.org!