Curtis Lazar Bio
Curtis Lazar is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (17th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing roughly 203 pounds, Lazar has built a career defined by versatility, leadership, and steady two-way play.
Born in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Lazar rose through the Western Hockey League (WHL) as captain of the Edmonton Oil Kings and won the Memorial Cup in 2014. He has since suited up for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils before joining the Edmonton Oilers in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Curtis Lazar was born on February 2, 1995, in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and raised in nearby Vernon as one of Dave and Karen Lazar’s four children. With three siblings sharing the family’s attention, his parents often put him on a Greyhound bus to the Lower Mainland so he could play youth hockey with the Vancouver Selects.
Growing up in British Columbia, Lazar supported the Vancouver Canucks and admired Joe Sakic as his idol, while Ryan Getzlaf was a more immediate on-ice inspiration. These influences helped shape a two-way game rooted in poise and responsibility well beyond his years.
As captain of Pursuit of Excellence Prep during the 2009-10 season, Lazar scored 57 goals and 115 points in 51 games. He was named Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, and an All-Star at the 2010 John Reid Memorial Tournament and earned the 2010 Hockey Now/BC Hockey Hall of Fame Minor Hockey Player Achievement Award.
Path to Professional Hockey
From Pursuit of Excellence, Lazar moved to Okanagan Hockey Academy for the 2010-11 season, posting 58 points in 45 under-18 games. He also captained Team British Columbia at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, where he led the team to a gold medal with 12 goals and 17 points, including back-to-back hat-tricks that surpassed goal and point records previously held by Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby.
The Edmonton Oil Kings selected Lazar second overall in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft. After a brief stint at age 15, he joined the club full-time in 2011-12, finishing his rookie season with 20 goals and 31 points in 63 games. He led Edmonton’s 2012 playoff run with 19 points in 20 games as the Oil Kings captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup and reached the Memorial Cup.
By the 2013-14 season, Lazar had been named team captain. He paced the Oil Kings with 41 goals and 76 points in 58 regular season games, captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup a second time, and lifted the 2014 Memorial Cup. His triple-overtime winner against the Val-d’Or Foreurs ended the longest game in tournament history, and he was awarded the George Parsons Trophy for sportsmanship. The Ottawa Senators had selected him 17th overall earlier that summer, and he signed his entry-level contract on September 17, 2013.
Curtis Lazar Career
Early Career (2014-2017)
At 19, Lazar was the only teenager on the Senators’ opening-night roster in 2014-15, making his NHL debut on October 9, 2014, against the Nashville Predators. Skating on a line with Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone that became known as the “Kids Line,” he scored his first NHL goal on December 15 and finished his rookie season with six goals and 15 points in 67 games.
The following seasons in Ottawa were less smooth. Lazar bounced between wing and center to accommodate veterans, struggled through a 26-game goal drought in 2015-16, and contracted mononucleosis before training camp in 2016. After recording just one assist in 33 games early in 2016-17, he was dealt to the Calgary Flames on March 1, 2017, in exchange for Jyrki Jokipakka and a draft pick.
Calgary Flames Era (2017-2019)
With the Flames, Lazar settled into a fourth-line checking role. He signed a two-year, $1.9 million extension in July 2017 and contributed two goals and 12 points in 65 regular season games during 2017-18, often centering a line with Matt Stajan and Ryan Lomberg.
The 2018-19 season brought a demotion to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, where Lazar thrived with 20 goals and 41 points in 57 games and earned a 2019 AHL All-Star Classic invitation. He appeared in only one NHL game for the Flames that season, and Calgary did not extend a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins Era (2019-2022)
The Buffalo Sabres signed Lazar to a one-year, $700,000 contract on July 1, 2019, and after a brief AHL stint he became a regular on the Sabres’ third line. He signed a two-year, $1.6 million extension in September 2020 and posted 5 goals and 9 points in 33 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
On April 11, 2021, Buffalo traded Lazar, along with Taylor Hall, to the Boston Bruins for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second-round pick. He spent the 2021-22 season with the Bruins organization, helping re-establish himself as a reliable NHL contributor.
Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils Era (2022-2025)
As a free agent, Lazar signed a three-year, $3 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 13, 2022. On March 3, 2023, the Canucks traded him to the New Jersey Devils for a 2024 fourth-round pick, and he spent the remainder of his contract with the Devils through the 2024-25 season.
Edmonton Oilers Era (2025-Present)
The Edmonton Oilers signed Lazar as a free agent to a one-year, $775,000 contract for the 2025-26 season on July 2, 2025. The signing brought the British Columbia native back to the organization where he began his junior career and added a veteran checking presence to the Oilers’ forward group.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lazar’s game is built on versatility and hockey sense rather than top-end scoring. Comfortable at center or on either wing, he has logged time in every forward slot and has even volunteered for defensive duty. He forechecks with conviction, wins battles along the boards, and provides responsible two-way minutes, traits that have kept him in NHL lineups through several organizations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his most memorable moments was his 2014 Memorial Cup triple-overtime goal that ended the longest game in tournament history and the viral clip of him eating a thrown hamburger on the Ottawa bench during Andrew Hammond’s “Hamburglar” run. He has also won a WHL scoring title, two Ed Chynoweth Cups, a Memorial Cup, a George Parsons Trophy, and an Eastern Conference First All-Star Team selection.
Curtis Lazar Career Wins
Curtis Lazar’s most prominent victories came in junior hockey, where he captained the Edmonton Oil Kings to the 2014 Memorial Cup and back-to-back Ed Chynoweth Cup titles. He has notched a first NHL goal with the Ottawa Senators and has recorded key goals at every subsequent NHL stop, including his first tally as a Flame against Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.
Junior and Memorial Cup Highlights
Lazar won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2012 and 2014 with the Edmonton Oil Kings, leading the 2012 playoffs with 19 points in 20 games. He captained the 2014 Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup title, scoring the triple-overtime semifinal winner and earning the George Parsons Trophy as the tournament’s most sportsmanlike player.
Other Wins and Performances
Lazar captained Team British Columbia to gold at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, breaking scoring records held by Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby. He also represented the WHL at the Subway Super Series in both 2012 and 2013 and was selected to the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic after a 20-goal AHL season in Stockton.
Curtis Lazar Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Curtis Lazar grew up as one of four children raised by Dave and Karen Lazar in Vernon, British Columbia. His parents managed a demanding youth-hockey schedule by sending him on Greyhound buses to Lower Mainland games with the Vancouver Selects, an experience that fostered his early independence.
Personal Life
Curtis Lazar and his wife have two sons. He has long been recognized for his mature approach off the ice, including the well-known story of him eating a fully wrapped hamburger that struck him on the Senators bench during the “Hamburglar” celebrations.
2025 Season Performance
Curtis Lazar joined the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year, $775,000 free-agent contract on July 2, 2025, returning to the franchise where he began his junior career. The signing was viewed as a low-risk depth addition that gave the Oilers a right-handed veteran option for the bottom of the lineup and a trusted penalty-killer.
Entering the 2025-26 season, Lazar is expected to compete for a fourth-line role and provide injury insurance on the wing or at center. His track record of forechecking, faceoff reliability, and penalty killing fits a team with championship aspirations in the competitive Pacific Division.
With a one-year deal in hand, Lazar’s 2025-26 campaign is effectively an audition for a longer NHL future. A steady, healthy season in Edmonton would reinforce his value as a versatile, two-way bottom-six forward capable of contributing in a deep playoff push.