Jets’ prospect Chaz Lucius a model of resiliency

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Nothing could wipe the smile off Chaz Lucius’ face this past week when he hit the ice for the Winnipeg Jets development camp.

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For the first time in more than five months, he was finally skating,

And even as he skated separate from the rest of the team’s prospects, clad in yellow threads denoting a player who’s not quite 100 per cent, there was a sense of joy.

He willed himself up off of the mat, and not for the first time.

“I just couldn’t wait to get out there,” Lucius said on Sunday as Winnipeg’s annual camp wound to a close.

Skating is something most hockey players take for granted. Most haven’t strung together four straight years that have ended in season-ending surgeries.

A unique issue with his heel required a major operation in January, the latest on a long list of dates with a surgeon’s scalpel for the 18th overall pick in 2021.

“It’s definitely one of the harder recoveries I’ve had,” Lucius said, detailing a two-month period where he couldn’t walk and would use a motorized scooter to get around the rink.

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The fact the 21-year-old centre can rank his recoveries says it all.

His heel issue halted this past season with the Manitoba Moose. In 2023, it was a shoulder. His one and only year in college in 2022 was curtailed by his ankle, and his draft year ended abruptly thanks to his knee, which left him in a wheelchair and required him to learn to walk again.

“He’s had to really show his resiliency,” general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said.

“I’ve been unfortunate to have an injury as a player, (but) one thing you learn is it tests your will and how much you love the game, how much you want to play. The off-ice work that you have to put in when you’re rehabbing an injury, that’s all will and fortitude. It’s just easy to say: ‘I’ve had enough.’

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“But when you see a player that’s constantly trying to bounce back from that, that’s an important trait to know, that they want to play the game and they love the game.”

And Lucius loves the game. No one can question that.

“Nobody sees me re-teaching myself how to walk, re-teaching myself how to skate again or do all the things that are, mentally, just so challenging,” he said. “That’s a big part of it. I have to motivate myself because the Jets have been great at the end of the day, but it’s up to me to make those decisions and put in the work for it.”

And remain positive.

The unfortunate part of being injured during these critical developmental years is how quickly a player can tumble down the order. New prospects are drafted into the organization, overtaking those whose paths become hampered.

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When training camp kicks off this fall, Lucius’ name won’t be spoken in the same breath as 2022 draft pick Elias Salomonsson or 2023 first-rounder Brad Lambert. Those two will fight for roster spots with the big club.

Lucius, meanwhile, is aware that more time with the Manitoba Moose will be necessary.

“I’ve gotta stay healthy,” he said, painting his immediate future with a realistic brush.

That’s the main goal, and Winnipeg hasn’t wavered in its opinion of its top prospect. The Jets are not giving up, just as Lucius hasn’t thrown in the towel.

“I don’t know how it’s done in other organizations, but this organization here, when we draft a player, they become part of our family, and you take care of them like they are your family,” Cheveldayoff said. “That’s an important thing. I know our trainers, our medical staff, take a real hard interest in all aspects of them — whether it’s the actual injury itself or the mental well-being of the player going through that tough time.”

The good news is that Lucius is expected to be ready to go by mid-September, when training camp kicks off. And he’s ready to bring all he’s learned off the ice with him.

“I can overcome anything, whether it be in hockey or life,” Lucius said. “Hockey ends one day for everybody. Hopefully, I can have a long career and put these injuries behind me. These are just life lessons I can take with me forever.”

sbilleck@postmedia.com

X: @scottbilleck

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