Not many players with 1,177 NHL games played would be nervous for a September preseason game in Columbus. But that was what Milan Lucic experienced last week.
“I think I had some early nervousness and jitters, especially the first period of the game against Columbus,” Lucic said after Blues practice on Monday. “I felt real nervous having it be my first game in a long time. Good thing was I got better as the game went on. Little setback last week, but good thing was I probably had my best practice of camp here (Monday). We’ll see how things go moving forward.”
Lucic is in Blues camp on a professional tryout, hoping to earn a spot in the bottom six and sign a contract in St. Louis. The 37-year-old veteran winger also returned to practice on Monday after suffering a groin injury on Sept. 23 that forced him to miss three days of on-ice work.
“He looked really good, looked really sharp,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said Monday. “It’s good to have him back out there. He was making a lot of plays, seems like his confidence has grown throughout camp, which is a good sign.”
Lucic will play Tuesday night in the Blues’ preseason game against the Stars at Enterprise Center.
“Mentally more, it was tough because I prepared all summer to be ready for this chance,” Lucic said. “Suffered a minor groin injury that I’ve never had in my entire 20 years of junior and NHL. I think mentally, it was frustrating to say the least. For the most part, physically, I felt pretty good (Monday). Just want to build off that and get 2 to 5% better every day.”
Lucic has not played in the NHL in almost two years.
He last suited up for the Bruins on Oct. 21, 2023, but suffered a foot injury that shelved him. Then Lucic was arrested Nov. 18, 2023 for assault and battery on a family member for an alleged domestic violence incident involving his wife, Brittany. Charges against Lucic were dropped when his wife declined to testify.
Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and was cleared by the league before the Blues signed him to a PTO before training camp. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said before training camp that Lucic was 22 months sober, and Lucic said Monday he was 681 days sober, which dates back to his arrest.
“From a mental standpoint, just doing a lot of self-work,” Lucic said. “Just taking care of myself mentally, being a good dad. I have three kids. Just being a good family man, and having some time to do that was really great as well. That’s kind of what my last two years have been all about.
“A lot of hard work. A lot of self-work. That’s basically what it is. I was trying to do the right things, mainly for myself and my family and my children. Also for me as a hockey player and as a teammate. Self-work, self-accountability and stuff like that.”
At his peak, Lucic was one of the game’s premier power forwards. When he won a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2010-11, he led the Bruins in both goals (30) and points (62), all while racking up 121 penalty minutes. In the last half-decade, Lucic’s role shifted to become a fourth-liner with snarl, mostly in Calgary.
Across four years with the Flames, Lucic averaged 24 points per 82 games and 12:32 of ice time a night while racking up 19 fights.
Now 37 years old and two years removed from playing organized hockey, Lucic knows the impact he must demonstrate in training camp in order to earn a contract.
“He’s got to make an impression to make the team,” Montgomery said. “He understands that. But we want him, whether he plays the last three games or just the last two, we want him to put himself in the best advantage so we can evaluate at his best.”
There is a way for the Blues to keep Lucic around the team without signing him to a contract, too.
The new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA allows for midseason 10-day professional tryouts. A player can practice – but not play – with a team for 10 days, and the team has the chance to match a contract that player signs with another team.
While the current CBA does not expire until next year, certain elements have been adopted for the upcoming season. According to PuckPedia, the 10-day PTO rule has been implemented for the 2025-26 season.
That could allow the Blues the chance to sign Lucic to a 10-day PTO to keep him around the team, perhaps delaying the decision whether or not to sign him to a contract.
“Other than my rookie year, it was more just getting yourself ready for game one so that you’re sharp, as far as your timing and your conditioning,” Lucic said. “You’re competitive, so you’re always trying to impress people and show that you’re ready, but here more so than ever because you’re trying to make the team.”
Lucic is one of 18 forwards remaining in camp, and they will be fighting for 14 spots on the 23-man roster. Nick Bjugstad, Oskar Sundqvist, Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker are trying to cement their spots among the Blues’ top 12 forwards. Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier are vying to crack the roster, and avoid being waived to the AHL. Youngsters Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki are still in St. Louis.
Then there’s Lucic, who had an assist while shaking off the rust in 15:26 of ice time vs. the Blue Jackets on Sept. 21.
“It looked like it had been a year and a half since he played a game,” Montgomery said. “His third period was his best period, so he continues to get better throughout the game, which is good to see. The first period, it looked like he was struggling out there. But the third period, it looked like he was playing hockey.”
Lucic said he would have to re-adjust to handling pucks on the wall in his own zone while holding off a defenseman.
“Every team plays aggressive now, and they’re all pinching,” Lucic said. “Just dealing with that kind of pressure and absorbing the pressure and making that next play, winning that battle and then making that next play.”
Among the cuts on Sunday were first-round picks Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek, who were each sent back to their respective junior hockey teams.
During Saturday’s 4-2 exhibition loss to the Blackhawks, Dvorsky submitted his strongest effort of the preseason, including scoring a first-period goal.
Fowler’s extension was announced during the Blues’ 4-2 preseason loss to the Blackhawks on Saturday night, a piece of news that overshadowed whatever happened on the ice at Enterprise Center.
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Matthew DeFranks | Post-Dispatch
Hockey reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today