EPITOMIZING WORK ETHIC
Lazar excels at camp
It isn’t quite the Stanley Cup. Or the Conn Smythe Trophy. But to hockey prospects at the Senators annual development camp, earning the ‘hardest working player’ plaque on the final day is kind of a big deal. Mark Borowiecki, Eric Gryba and even Mike Fisher, going way back, have won the award.
The 2014 winner (pause for drum roll) forward Curtis Lazar, might have also been in the running for the busiest player award, if there were such a thing.
“It’s really good for him because he’s played a lot of hockey this year,” said Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee. “He’s gone through a lot with his team, the world juniors. And camps for the world juniors.”
Lazar’s team, the Edmonton Oil Kings, not only won the WHL championship but went on to take the Memorial Cup tournament, not long before he had to fly to Ottawa for his second development camp. Lazar was selected 17th overall by the Senators in 2013.
With another Canadian world junior camp on the horizon, Lee says Lazar will be challenged to balance rest with training this summer.
In today’s draft frenzy, first rounders tend to be celebrated and hyped before they even hear their name called, so it’s encouraging to encounter star juniors that are grounded. Lazar is definitely one of them.
“There’s no sense of entitlement,” Lee says of Lazar. “He basically came in like a first-year guy, started all over again, and it was genuine. It was not showcasing himself, he did it because that’s just the type of person he is.”
The award is presented after consultation with all the coaches and trainers involved in the weeklong camp, for performance above and beyond the call of duty on and off ice. “We’re trying to leave an impression on the coaching staff and I thought I did that for the most part,” Lazar said. Ironically, as busy as he’s been, the 19-yearold forward didn’t feel he hit his stride until the last couple of days of camp.
“I’m still one of the youngest guys here, I’ve got great guidance and leadership in front of me, from guys that have the experience,” Lazar said. “Mark Stone, Cody Ceci … the guys that know what it takes to compete at that level.”
The native of Salmon Arm, B.C. says it’s easy staying grounded.
“I guess my parents raised me the right way,” Lazar said. “I try to be as humble as possible at all times. I’m a firm believer, do things the right way and get the job done before moving on to the next thing. Stay there, and grind it out, detail after detail, you’re going to see the results and when the finished product is done it’s going to be worthwhile.” Max McCormick and Garrett Thompson were also in the running for the hardest worker category.
TEAM BLACK RULES
If anyone celebrated more than Lazar, it was team black, who threw their arms in the air and hugged each other after winning the day’s 3-on-3 tournament.
The black team included Tobias Lindberg, Nick Paul, Shane Prince, Troy Rutkowski, Garrett Thompson and Kevin Tansey.