While his teammates gathered their belongings and returned home, whether Michigan or Switzerland, New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar remained in New Jersey with his wife, Reanne, and two young sons, Owen and Cayden.
"I rented my house out back in Kelowna to a family who lost their home in a fire last summer, so we have nowhere to go back home," Lazar said during his end-of-season media availability. "We are sticking around here."
The Hockey News recently caught up with Lazar for a Q&A about his summer and how his family has enjoyed their time in New Jersey.
The Hockey News: Let's start at the beginning. When you found out you were being traded to New Jersey, what did you know about the area?
Lazar: Coming to New Jersey during the first part of my career, we stayed in Short Hills. Not much by it except for the mall, so you were kind of limited for where you eat dinner and whatnot. You were just in and out to the rink.
Then we (stayed in) Jersey City, and again, you don't really venture too far, maybe go for a walk a couple blocks away. You know New York City is right there, but I don't think you understand how nice Jersey City, Hoboken, and that area is.
THN: Now that you have lived here and spent the summer exploring, what are your and your wife's thoughts on the area? Do you agree that it is a hidden gem?
Lazar: I say it is like New York City living without the hassle of the day-to-day grind. I was pleasantly surprised. I know my wife and myself we love it. We love raising our kids here. It has been incredible. We can't say enough about it. Whenever I talk to players about it, I tell them , 'New Jersey is a hidden gem. It has got everything you need within close proximity to the rink.'
THN: How has the summer been with the family? I know Cayden just turned one, so he is still a little young, but does Owen have any favorite places to go?
Lazar: Every day is an adventure, and we love that. Owen loves sharks, so we've been to the Camden Aquarium, Jenkinson's Aquarium, and the SEA LIFE New Jersey Aquarium at the American Dream Mall. The latest thing we did that was kind of local-ish was the State Fair out of the Meadowlands. (It has) the carnival rides and Owen loved the pig races, as did I. I thought it was awesome. We are just doing what we can to be locals.
THN: As a father of two, what have you enjoyed seeing through the eyes of your children?
Lazar: I mean, where do I start? Being a father is the best job you can have, or being a parent in general. Yes, it is not always easy, but just seeing them grow and get their personalities and their likes and dislikes. I think what is cool with the game of hockey, and for myself, is you bounce around. You get a phone call, and your life changes (when they) tell you you've been traded here, or you're going there, but to have our boys and have them grow up during this phase in New Jersey has been incredible. Every single day, driving around, Owen sees airplanes and the Statue of Liberty; it still gets him excited every single time he sees her.
The whole hockey side, where he is understanding things and everyone knows the beef he has with Jack (Hughes) and the hard part of the business where I talk to him and tell him that one of his favorites, John Marino, is not going to be around. On the flip side, I can tell him we got a new goalie and this is what he looks like and stuff like that. The excitement he has makes me really appreciate the job that I have, knowing that he takes an interest in it as well.
THN: What are some activities the Lazar family enjoys doing in the offseason?
Lazar: For us, what is really attractive about this area is that we grab the stroller and we walk. We are always on our feet and always moving, and I think that is what we appreciate because there is no stone left unturned. We can go into the city and walk through Soho and run into the Museum of Ice Cream. We don't know anything about it, so we go and check it out. It is an absolute hoot, and the kids love it, and those are the memories that go a long way for us.
THN: Training camp will be here before you know it. What does the rest of your summer look like?
Lazar: I am going home (to Canada) for a couple of weeks and Hawaii for one. When I come back at the beginning of August, it (is getting) ready to go because training camp is right around the corner.
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