Jeff Lazaro

Lore & Background

Lazaro began his collegiate career as a defenseman at the University of New Hampshire but was convinced at a private hockey camp to switch to left winger to better use his speed and tenacity. He went undrafted by NHL teams but earned a contract with the Boston Bruins after impressing at their 1990 training camp. He made his NHL debut on December 12, 1990, against the Hartford Whalers and scored his first NHL goal the following night against goaltender Daryl Reaugh.

During the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored three goals and five points in 19 games, including a goal on Patrick Roy in the second round. In the 1991–92 season, he was involved in a brawl with the Detroit Red Wings that left him nearly unconscious, claiming he had been choked by a Red Wings player. He was left unprotected by Boston and selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL expansion draft. He began the 1992–93 season recovering from shoulder surgery and was called up in November, though coach Rick Bowness thought neither he nor Dominic Lavoie could play on an NHL roster at that time.

He scored his first Senators goal on Dominic Roussel in a 7–2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. After a leg injury in January 1993, he returned in February and played his final NHL game on March 7, 1993, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was given a termination contract by the Senators in the 1993 off-season.

Reader's Guide

Jeff Lazaro's NHL career was brief but marked by several notable moments. He went undrafted yet made the Boston Bruins roster out of training camp and became a regular penalty killer during his rookie season. His playoff contributions in 1991, including a goal on Patrick Roy, helped the Bruins reach the third round.

His selection by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 expansion draft placed him among the foundational players of the new franchise, though his time there was limited by injuries and a coach who felt he was not ready for the NHL. After his NHL career ended, Lazaro played for the United States at the 1994 Winter Olympics and later had a productive minor league career, including a 101-point season with the New Orleans Brass in 1997–98, earning ECHL All-Star Team honors. His career illustrates the path of an undrafted player who carved out a professional career through determination and adaptability, switching positions and later finding success in Europe and the ECHL.