Copyright MassLive
SPRINGFIELD — When he takes the ice on Friday night for his first game in over two years, all eyes will be on Milan Lucic, wondering: Can the former Bruins standout still play at 37 years old? Should he even be getting a chance to try after being arrested for domestic violence? Lucic is trying to prove himself worthy of this second chance as a hockey player and as a person. He talked about both on Wednesday after his first practice after signing with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. “There’s definitely butterflies, a little nervous, but the good nerves,” said the 17-year NHL veteran. “It’s just about channeling and using it to your advantage.” Lucic is expected to be in the Thunderbirds lineup at the MassMutual Center against the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday. It’ll be his first real game since his life spun out of control. On Nov. 20, 2023, Lucic was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a family or household member. According to a police report, Lucic, who was then with the Bruins, pulled his wife’s hair and attempted to choke her in their Boston home after returning from a night out. He appeared intoxicated when police arrived. Lucic, who’d won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, signed with the Bruins in the summer of 2023 after eight seasons away. It was an incredibly popular move that turned into a mess. The Bruins placed Lucic on an indefinite leave of absence and never reinstated him, ending his much-anticipated return after just four games. Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, which was created to help players and their families dealing with substance abuse, mental health and other issues. The charges against him were eventually dropped when his wife, Brittany, refused to testify against him. He then sat out the entire 2024-25 season, trying to get his life in order. Lucic stopped drinking and worked to stay in playing shape, but it was unclear if he’d ever play again. St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong knew Lucic from his play with Team Canada at the 2023 World Championships. Blues coach Jim Montgomery is a recovering alcoholic himself and assistant coach Claude Julien coach him in his first stint in Boston. They vetted Lucic, who was 22 months sober when they offered him a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO). “We certainly did our due diligence,” Armstrong told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I talked to Milan, obviously. I talked to his family. I talked to his sponsor. I talked to the league. He’s 22 months sober now ... Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. It’s not just a second chance based on hockey. You have to have everything else in place, and Milan does. Now, it’s his responsibility to continue that off the ice.” Lucic suffered a groin injury early in camp. He was released with the expectation that he’d get another look when he was healthy. On Tuesday, he signed another PTO with the Thunderbirds, the Blues’ AHL affiliate. Both times, his signings were met with understandable fan backlash. Whether Lucic or anyone who violates the NHL or any league’s domestic violence policy deserves a second chance to play professional sports is a debate worth having. Playing sports is a privilege — a highly paid privilege — and one that maybe should be forfeited if certain lines are crossed. On the other hand, there is value to giving someone battling substance abuse another chance when his or her demons are under control. Whether the Blues were right or wrong, Lucic has a second opportunity and will be under considerable scrutiny. He expressed gratitude for the chance and hoped other people, especially hockey players, would learn from his mistakes. “I’ve had a lot of support up to this point, so I definitely want to do my best to make the most of it,” he said. “I think a lot of people and players suffer in silence and are scared to ask for help. That’s why this player program is in place — to help players when they’re going through tough times. I’m grateful and thankful for the whole program. It’s helped me build myself back up. “Not only them, my family, especially my wife and kids,” he added. “Their support helped me get to this point.” TMZ reported that Brittany Lucic filed for divorce in April 2024, but it wasn’t finalized. She began posting pictures of herself and Milan together again this summer on Instagram. Earlier this week, she posted another with the caption: “✨Us🤍Stronger, clearer, and thankful for the path we’re on.🙏🏼🥰." And on Wednesday, she posted a video of Lucic talking about the Players Assistance Program and hoped others would draw inspiration. She wrote: “✨Normalize asking for help.✨✨Normalize getting help.✨It’s scary to do but it’s one of the bravest thing anyone can do.💭We need to support one another. So many people suffer in silence, and even taking one small step…like showing up to a free meeting …is a step in the right direction.🌟I’m so proud of Milan’s journey and his strength. Getting help isn’t like flipping a switch. It’s about digging into deep, painful places that most people don’t want to face, let alone acknowledge. 🏊 They just keep swimming in the pain, addictions and trauma.🫶🏽Doing the work and getting help…that’s courage. That’s strength. That’s real bravery.👁️ Turning a blind eye and pretending everything’s fine might feel easier, but it only prolongs the suffering not just for the person struggling, but for everyone around them.🫣It’s scary to say, “I need help.” The fear of judgment, stigma, or misunderstanding can feel overwhelming. But once you take that step and start doing the work, it’s truly life-changing.✨Let’s keep normalizing it. Let’s keep supporting one another. Getting help is not weakness, it’s healing.✨" In any instance of domestic violence, it is impossible to know what’s actually happening in private. But the Lucics are at least saying encouraging things, especially if he has stopped drinking and is getting help. “There were a lot of things that I definitely needed to address. But I’m happy with how that’s all gone,” he said. “Things are at a good place with me personally, with my marriage, my family, my kids and everything.”
