Chaz Lucius

January 2024 – Manitoba Moose Head Coach, Mark Morrisson, broke the news on Monday, January 22, that Lucius will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season after surgery on an injured ankle. The 2023-24 season will be the fourth straight season the forward will have his year end early due to injury. The 2024-25 campaign is shaping up to be a massive season in Lucius’ career development; first and foremost, he must stay healthy. His 2023-24 season ends with 17 games played with the Manitoba Moose, scoring just two goals and adding 11 assists for 13 points. Mark Henry

November 2023 – The oft-injured forward returned to the Manitoba Moose lineup on November 13 after being injured on October 22 in a game versus the Iowa Wild. Lucius started the 2023-24 season before injury with three points (one goal and two assists) in five games. Mark Henry

October 2023 – Lucius’ 2022-23 season was far from ideal for the Winnipeg Jets’ 2021 first-round pick (18th overall) when it came to development. After an impressive training camp with the Jets, he was sent to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League; he played just 12 games in the first half of the season due to injury. Lucius played in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship for the United States; he played seven games, recording seven points (five goals and two assists). The Jets sent Lucius to the Western Hockey League (WHL) to play for the Portland Winterhawks after the completion of the 2023 World Juniors instead of going back to the AHL. With more ice time and greater opportunities came a significant jump in production. He had 15 points (five goals and ten assists) in six games before sustaining another injury, requiring season-ending shoulder surgery. Lucius attended the Winnipeg Jets 2023 summer development camp from July 4-8, 2023, but did not skate with the forwards throughout camp as he wore a yellow non-contact jersey. He returned to full health for the 2023 Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., from September 15-18, 2023 and is at the Winnipeg Jets 2023-24 training camp. Lucius is expected to play with the Manitoba Moose during the 2023-24 season, where he will look to stay healthy and gain much-needed playing time to take the next step in his development. Mark Henry

April 2022 – Lucius has signed a three-year ELC with the Winnipeg Jets. The team has options with where to assign him for next season, as he could play for the Jets, Manitoba Moose (AHL), or Portland Winterhawks (WHL) who currently own his CHL rights. Justin Kaye

April 2022 – Lucius spent his draft-year-plus-one season as a freshman on the star-studded University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.  The 18-year-old finished with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in 24 games before a lower-body injury ended his season prematurely. This is is the second lengthy injury of Lucius’ young career: he opted to get knee surgery in 2020 which sidelined him for 3 months.

Lucius also represented the United States at the World Jr. Championship in December with Gopher linemate Matthew Knies. With the tournament set to return for completion in August, his status remains a question mark.  However, it is quite likely that Lucius will represent his country again and play a more prominent role at the 2023 tournament where his elite processing and gifted goal scoring will be on full display. Lucius is expected to return to Minnesota for his sophomore season alongside his younger brother, Cruz – a 2022 draft-eligible. In time, the Jets will be getting a proven goalscorer at all levels, which should translate to NHL success. Justin Kaye

July 2021 – Lucius was selected in the first round, 18th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

February 2021 – Chaz Lucius has announced his return! After dealing with a lower-body injury that eliminated the first half of his year, Lucius returned on February 19th with a two-goal performance against the USHL league-leading Chicago Steel and then capped his return weekend with another goal against Green Bay. He doesn’t seem hampered on ice or in stride at all. He will be worth tracking as the year goes on because his unique blend of skill and shooting talent should be intriguing to teams in the top half of the first round. He was a bit forgotten in the first half of the year but that should change as the lethal offensive player returns to the NTDP. Tony Ferrari 

August 2020 – Chaz Lucius is the best goal scorer on the U.S. NTDP squad possessing a lethal snap shot and crafty hands in tight. He has a nose for the net and doesn’t need much time or space to finish. His shot is dangerous enough to score from distance but he gets to the home plate area of the offensive zone better than about anyone. Pushing into dangerous areas with his shot is a recipe for success. His playmaking is decent and in terms of raw tools, he doesn’t get credit for his passing ability. He regularly passes to and through the royal road area of the offensive zone, forcing the defenders and netminder to adjust to the changing angle. He connects on just about 80% of his passes (per InStat data) which is impressive considering how often he is passing into high-danger areas that defenses generally key in on. The ability to read the play and put himself in the right place at the right time shows how intelligent he is. The young American center shows good defensive effort for the most part and while he isn’t always in the right spot, the effort is there and there seems to be a malleable player on his own end there. When the opposition has the puck, Lucius likes to apply pressure and give the puck carrier little room to maneuver in. He sometimes overshoots the puck carrier which can be a pain as his acceleration isn’t the best in order to get back. The calling card for Lucius is and always will be his ability to find twine but the more he rounds out his game, the greater chance he challenges for first overall in a year that seems fairly wide open at the top. Tony Ferrari