Luke Hughes walked into the New Jersey Devils locker room for the first time as a 19-year-old, known for more than his on-ice play from the University of Michigan.
The younger brother of Jack and Quinn, he was known for his last name and his talented hockey family.
And after two full seasons with the Devils, Hughes became known for one additional thing: Being the target of Curtis Lazar's antics.
"You go to a dog groomer?"
"Here comes Luke. Rolled out of bed."
"Rusty, thanks for showing up!"
The running gag has brought joy to Devils fans over the past couple of seasons as their dynamic continued to blossom, leading to the now well-known, "How are ya, Curtis?"
In a phone interview with The Hockey News on Friday, I spoke with Lazar about his lasting impact on the New Jersey fan base.
"We get paid for our on-ice product," Lazar said on Friday. "We have to take care of ourselves and whatnot, but the game is not possible without the fans. They are the ones who dedicate their time and their hard-earned money to go to hockey games and to cheer you on. You want to make them proud, but also, why not have fun with them?"
When the 30-year-old signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 2, it meant, for many, the end of the twosome's back-and-forth banter.
In true Lazar fashion, he devised a way to keep it going.
"I actually wrestled really hard with picking number 43 in Edmonton," he said. "I thought that would have been pretty funny."
Ultimately, he decided against it, choosing number 20.
"It would have been pretty good," he continued. "I thought I would leave it in the past, though. We had a lot of fun with it during my time in New Jersey."
Now that it is in the past, the question becomes who will continue what Lazar has started and fostered into a running gag.
"I have no idea," he said with a laugh. "I think Brenden Dillon is going to keep Luke in line a little bit."
During the 2024-25 season, Hughes bonded with Dillon and Brett Pesce, who all sat near each other in the Devils locker room. Playful banter is part of their friendship as Pesce took his own little jab at his young D-partner.
Time will tell who will fill the void that Lazar has left behind, but beyond the jokes and one-liners, there was nothing but love for the young defenseman.
"Luke is going to have a great career," Lazar said. "I have always said that he is a heck of a player. It was all in good fun, and I love that kid. I really think half the time, he knew the kind of jobs I was throwing at him, but again, you only do that because you like someone and know what they are capable of. That is what makes it worthwhile."
Lazar is one of the most authentic athletes you will come across, so you can expect his antics to continue with the Oilers.
"I have to see what the dynamic is in the dressing room in Edmonton," he said with a chuckle.
Leave a comment below sharing your favorite Hughes & Lazar moment.
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