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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Chaz Lucius refused to let an injury derail the most important season of his career. 

"I don't think anyone wants to hear they have to have knee surgery in their draft year so that was a shock," the USA Hockey National Team Development Program centre acknowledged. "Two years ago I took a puck to the knee, my left knee, and as my growth plates closed it created a bone lesion. A bone lesion is just dead bone. I had surgery Aug. 21 and the recovery process from that point on was very extensive." 

Lucius finally returned to game action in February and quickly made up for lost time finishing with 13 goals in 13 games with the national under-18 team.

"It was quite a bit of adversity," he said. "In any moment of adversity when you get out on the other side, I feel like you become a better player and person from it."

NHL Central Scouting ranks Lucius No. 12 on their final list of North-American skaters. TSN director of scouting Craig Button has Lucius at No. 16 on his latest list of top prospects. 

But the 18-year-old Minnesota native believes he's at the top of one important list. 

"In this year's draft class, personally, I feel like I'm the best goal scorer in it," Lucius said. "I'm very versatile with how I score my goals and where I score them on the ice." 

Lucius opened up about his approach to goal scoring and his grueling rehab process during an interview with TSN. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.  

How would you describe your style of play? 

"What really sticks out about my game is my goal-scoring ability. I'm an offensive producer. I've been an offensive producer at every level I've played in with just creating time and space not only for myself but my teammates. I feel like, especially this year, I really grew into a 200-foot game." 

What makes you a gifted goal scorer? 

"The biggest thing is my work ethic. I shoot a lot of pucks ... I've worked on it since a young age and then, obviously, there's natural talent and ability there." 

Who is your NHL role model?

"The two guys I really look up to in the NHL and try and model my game after are Steven Stamkos and Mark Scheifele."

What do you take from Scheifele's game? 

"His grittiness and will to score goals whether it be from the top of the circles, hashmarks in, rebound goal, tip goal, he's always hungry. He uses his frame well for puck protection and to create space for his teammates as well." 

How about Stamkos? 

"He's a really good leader and you can see that with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He does the right things on the ice. He plays a good 200-foot 

game and likes to score goals as well. I feel like he uses his teammates well and plays well within the team." 

The recovery from surgery included six weeks in a wheelchair with your leg locked in a straight brace. How did you get through that period? 

"From Day 1, I promised myself I would become a better player and person from this and come out on top of this and not let the injury win. I really tried, mentally and physically, to take it one day at a time and know I was going to be better from it." 

The rehab included two hours a day in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. What's that like?

"When I was in there the first time it was pretty crazy. And then, when they told me if a fire happens they won’t be able to save me, I was pretty nervous (laugh). But, at the end of the day, I knew it was something I had to do if I wanted the recovery process to speed up."

What are you doing when you're in there? 

"They have a little TV outside of the chamber that you can watch, but the volume isn't very good inside the chamber so you pretty much sit there and look at the TV screen." 

You do much thinking when you're lying there?

"I would reflect on what's happened and the recovery process and the crazy year that I'd had ... and just getting back on the ice is, really, what I was thinking about the whole time when I was in there." 

What was the best book you read during the recovery process? 

"'Greenlights' by [actor] Matthew McConaughey."

What did you like about it? 

"The honesty and what he stands for and the life stories that he shared. What I took was that everybody goes through adversity and nobody's life is perfect and if you come out on top of that then I feel like you can be a better person."

The book inspired you to start journaling. How did that help?

"I started that just to cope with things and use it as a resource to help me ... It's not daily, but I'd say right now it's just once a week to reflect on the week.”

 Oilers captain Connor McDavid went through a pretty serious knee injury as well. Did you draw much inspiration from what he did?

"I did. I watched his documentary about the rehab and the recovery process and it was pretty similar to mine so, in that sense, I really related to it. If he could get through it then I had no problem thinking I could get through it."

You scored twice in your return game against the Chicago Steel. What was that night like for you? 

"A little nervous, for sure, but just being back with my team and playing the game I love helped a lot. Getting a goal in the first period was definitely a relief. I wanted to get one as quick as I could just to have that relief. When the second period came and I got the second goal, I mean, that was cool as well to see my teammates being happy for me. And then our team got the win so I got to feel team success and individual success in my first game back." 

Your first goal was a heck of a shot from a bad angle. What do you remember about that play? 

"I checked a guy in the corner. I skated back and then our defence poke checked a guy who was making a break-out pass. I got the puck, came on my forehand side and started crossing over and saw that the goalie was kind of cheating a bit so roofed it." 

As if you hadn't been through enough adversity, you missed the IIHF Under-18 World Championship. What happened?

"I got sick and wasn't able to meet tournament protocols. It was really unfortunate. That was always in the back of my mind, even when I was doing the rehab process, to get back and play in that tournament. I mean, for that to happen was really unfortunate. I would never have thought in a million years that that would've happened. At the end of the day, it's something I have to live with and, yeah, it’s unfortunate, but I can learn from it."

What are you focused on this summer? 

"The biggest thing is my strength and getting that up, continuing to get stronger and then my skating and continuing to get faster." 

You committed to the University of Minnesota when you were just 14. What excites you the most about playing for the Gophers? 

"At a young age I always looked up to the guys wearing the maroon and gold so that was always the school I wanted to go to. When I got the opportunity to get a scholarship and play there I took it right away. I've never looked back since."

You have a great name. Any story behind it?

"Not really too much of a story. My dad's name is Chuck so we wanted C's. I'm Chaz and [younger brother] Cruz followed along. I guess that's how it happened. I'm pretty thankful for my parents for giving me a cool name."

What was the sibling rivalry like with Cruz, who is eligible for the 2022 draft?

"We actually played on the same line all the way up until I left for NTDP. I played centre and he played right wing. He was always the passer and I was always the goal scorer so it really worked out well. I really cherished my time with him. Anything we do, it's always been competitive whether it be playing golf or anything, it doesn't matter. That really brought out the best in us." 

Does he have an edge on you in anything? 

"He might think he does, but I'd like think I have the edge."