Former Boston Bruins veteran Milan Lucic could return to the ice next season. Lucic has been training over the past couple of months but is considered a free agent following his arrest in Boston last year, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
“Sources say Milan Lucic has been training in New Jersey this summer in an attempt to continue his playing career,” Seravalli wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Lucic is currently ineligible to return to the NHL. He was arrested in Boston last November for assault and battery, plead not guilty, and charges were dropped in February when his wife invoked marital privilege and declined to testify.
“Lucic took an indefinite leave of absence from the Bruins after the arrest and did not return to the team. His one-year contract expired on June 30.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman must approve his return to the league before the Bruins or any other team can offer the veteran a contract.
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would need to clear Lucic to return to play, even though he has not been formally suspended by the league,” Seravalli added. “Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program.”
Milan Lucic's 2023 assault case avoids trial
Lucic's contract with the Bruins expired on June 30. After his arrest in November, Lucic was accused of assaulting his wife at their apartment in Boston and took an infinite leave of absence. According to a police report, Lucic started yelling at his wife, believing she hid her cell phone before allegedly grabbing her hair and pulling her backward.
Officers believe he was intoxicated and found a broken lamp in the married couple's bedroom upon arrival. However, Lucic's case never reached trial due to Lucic's wife refusing to testify, which triggered prosecutor Samuel Jones to file a motion to have her 911 call played in court. The judge eventually ruled out the call.
The Bruins drafted Lucic in the second round of the NHL draft in 2006. He's scored 233 goals and 353 assists for 586 points in 1,177 career regular-season games with Boston. Lucic has also played in 136 Stanley Cup playoff games, scoring 29 goals and 48 assists, and was a vital catalyst of the 2011 Bruins championship team.
After eight seasons with the Bruins, Lucic spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames before signing a one-year deal ahead of the 2023-24 season to return to Boston. The 36-year-old veteran will look to resume his 18-year career as he awaits NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's decision.
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