What is your most memorable hockey moment from when you were a kid?
“My Hanover youth hockey team won the New Hampshire state tournament when I was a Mite.”
What has been the most embarrassing moment so far in your National Hockey League career?
“There have been too many. My first game, my first shift, I whiffed on a D-to-D pass, and a player on the other team, which was the Buffalo Sabres, went in on a partial breakaway. Dany Sabourin made a big save, and I got to play another shift. Alex Goligoski made the pass; it was a great pass. It was not his fault. It was this guy’s fault.” (points to self)
What has been the funniest moment so far in your NHL career?
“My experience on the original NHL 24/7 (television series) in 2010. I came back from a dinner in Buffalo and everything in my hotel room had been moved into the hall right by the elevators and set up perfectly.
“That was a fun team. I was a rookie. It was one of those moments when you realize you’re being picked on, but you’re also one of the guys and a part of things.”
What has been the toughest challenge you’ve faced and overcome in life?
“I went to Boston College as an 18-year-old and just wasn’t ready to play at that level. With the help of my parents and my family, I decided to make the switch and go to Dartmouth College. Turns out, it was the best decision of my life. But I didn’t play hockey for a whole season — I just practiced — and that was incredibly difficult. So, going through that and making that decision.” (Lovejoy was not allowed to play in any games during the 2003-04 season, his first year with the Big Green, as per NCAA transfer regulations.)
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“When I was growing up my dad, Carl, used to tell me that hockey would open doors for other things in my life and I couldn’t just be a hockey player. I needed to use hockey to better my entire life, to get me into good schools, to meet people. I needed to do more than just play hockey. Use hockey because it’s a vehicle, but use it to better my entire life.”
In December 2017, you became the first active NHLer to pledge to donate his brain for concussion research. What went into that decision?
“Lots of things. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had very little (knocks on the wooden locker stall) brain trauma throughout my career. But lots of friends, lots of family, lots of teammates, have, and it’s super scary. Hockey as a sport is getting smarter and the game is absolutely changing as people realize the seriousness of brain injuries, concussions and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
“I told my wife (Avery) three, four, five years ago that if something happens to me — or when something happens to me — I would like my brain donated to Boston University’s Concussion Legacy Foundation for research. Anything I can do to make this sport safer in the future by both raising awareness and research, I owe to the game. This game has been so good to me; it’s done so many things for my life. This is one of the very small ways I can give back.”
Key facts
Team: New Jersey Devils
Hometown: Canaan, N.H. | Pos.: D | Shoots: Right | Size: 6-1, 205
Notable: Member of the Penguins’ 2015-16 Stanley Cup championship team. Has played for the Penguins, Ducks and Devils since making NHL debut in 2008-09; entered this season with 18 goals and 74 assists in 473 regular-season games and five goals and 10 assists in 63 playoff contests. Notched six assists in 22 games at Boston College; recorded 11 goals and 43 assists in 96 matches at Dartmouth.
Favorites
Food: Pretzels
Pregame meal: “Chicken, sweet potatoes
and spinach.”
TV show: “The Office”
Movie: “Gladiator”
Actor: Ryan Gosling
Actress: Jessica Biel
Book: “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown
Cartoon: PJ Masks
Road NHL rink: TD Garden
Road college rink: Lynah Rink (Cornell)
Equipment
Helmet: Bauer
Stick: “I’m using an Easton, but it’s becoming a Bauer since Easton is gone.”
Gloves: Bauer
Skates: Bauer
