Drafted 50th overall in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, Milan Lucic quickly became a fan favourite during the eight seasons he spent with the club. The powerhouse forward, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, even drew comparisons to Cam Neely with his ferocious physical play, ability to drop the gloves, and knack for finding the back of the net. However, despite becoming a favourite amongst the Bruins’ faithful, Lucic was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on June 26, 2015.
After spending just one season with the Kings, Lucic signed a massive seven-year, $42 million contract with former Bruins general manager (GM) Peter Chiarelli and the Edmonton Oilers. The contract came with lofty expectations for the power forward, and after failing to live up to those expectations through three seasons with the Oilers, he was traded to the Calgary Flames. While spending the remaining four years of his massive contract in Calgary, his role was diminished from being a former top-six forward down to a bottom-six depth forward.
Now a Bruin once again after signing a one-year, $1 million deal on the opening day of free agency, the signing has come with some mixed reception from fans but also has jolted the memories of Bruins fans across the globe. Today we look back at some of the most memorable Lucic moments during his first tenure with the Black and Gold.
Lucic’s First NHL Goal
On Oct. 12, 2007, just five days after making his NHL debut with the Bruins, Lucic scored his first NHL goal against the Kings. It was only fitting that longtime linemate, David Krejci, delivered a perfect pass allowing Lucic to easily tap the puck past Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier. It also ended up being the game-winning goal in a high scoring 8-6 win for the Bruins.
Lucic also capped off the first “Gordie Howe” hat trick of his career by finding the back of the net after already assisting on a goal scored by defenceman Aaron Ward and getting into fisticuffs with Kings’ forward Raitis Ivanans.
Lucic Makes a Good First Impression at the Garden
During Lucic’s rookie season, the Bruins had begun the regular season with a five-game swing on the West Coast. While Bruins’ fans had to wait nearly two weeks into the season for their club’s home opener, they would only have to wait a little over two minutes to see Lucic drop the gloves for the first time on Garden ice.
Lucic made a good first impression and had TD Garden rocking when he squared up with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Tarnasky. Tarnasky may have regretted the decision to drop the gloves after the bout, as the powerhouse rookie won decisively. The Bruins went on to win the game by a score of 4-1.
Lucic Sends Mike Van Ryn Through the Glass
On Oct. 23, 2008, while playing against the Bruins’ divisional rival Toronto Maple Leafs, Lucic delivered a crushing check to Leafs’ defenceman Mike Van Ryn. The sheer force of the hit sent him through a pane of glass and, as Jack Edwards called it, would be on “every highlight reel for about a decade.”
The Bruins ended up dropping the contest 4-2, and while the loss would eventually be forgotten, Lucic’s crushing hit will last a lifetime in the minds of the Bruins faithful.
Lucic Scores First Career Hat Trick
On Oct. 25, 2008, Lucic picked up his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-4 win against the Atlanta Thrashers. His first goal evened the game at two as Lucic found himself wide open in front of the Thrashers’ net and finished on a pass from former Bruins’ forward Michael Ryder.
Lucic followed that up by potting two more goals in the third period, one coming off a deflection on the powerplay and his third in the dying moments of the third period. With just 1:41 remaining and the Garden ice covered in hats, the goal would also stand as the game-winner.
Lucic Obliterates Buffalo Sabres’ Goaltender Ryan Miller
On Nov. 12, 2011, Lucic created some controversy within the league as he went without receiving a suspension after absolutely obliterating Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller was concussed in the collision as he had skated out from his net to play the puck, and a barrelling Lucic collided with him on a heavy forecheck.
When gathering with members of the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, Lucic recounted the collision saying, “He shouldn’t have been standing there; stay in your crease, no?” The hit also led to the Bruins scoring six unanswered goals en route to a 6-2 victory.
Lucic Hits the 30-Goal Mark in 2010-11
The 2010-11 NHL season is one that Bruins fans will never forget, as they went on to win their most recent Stanley Cup championship. Aside from adding a Stanley Cup ring to his resume, Lucic also won’t forget the 2010-11 season, as his game reached new heights.
Lucic scored a career-high 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points in 79 games during the campaign. Playing the majority of the season on a line with Krejci and Nathan Horton, the trio formed a highly threatening offensive punch and helped lead the Bruins all the way to their first Stanley Cup since the 1972 season during the Bobby Orr era.
Lucic Re-Invigorates Bruins and Canadiens Rivalry
Although the Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have gone in different directions since, and the rivalry has cooled, Lucic helped stoke the flames during his first tenure with the Bruins. In four of his eight seasons, Lucic and the Bruins met the Canadiens in the playoffs four times. Lucic quickly became public enemy number one for the Canadiens, and they had one player in particular who tried, unsuccessfully, to tame the beast.
Lucic and Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek formed somewhat of a rivalry of their own throughout the heated playoff battles. The two endured countless battles with one another, and Komisarek was able to get under the skin of Lucic but always seemed to turn down the opportunity to go toe-to-toe. However, on Nov. 13, 2008, with the Bruins up 5-1 in the third period, the pair met at center ice for their first fight. Lucic easily took the decision and followed it up by infamously saluting the Garden crowd. The building erupted, and the Bruins went on to win the game 6-1, with Lucic picking up a goal to go along with the fight.
Related: Bruins: 7 Cool Things About Milan Lucic
Komisarek and Lucic remained bitter rivals for the duration of the defenceman’s career. They squared off two more times, once with Komisarek on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The result was the same every time they dropped the gloves, with Lucic winning decisively.
Key Role in Iconic 2013 Game 7 Comeback Against the Leafs
On May 13, 2013, the Bruins and Maple Leafs played one of the most historic Game 7s in recent memory. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin called it the game of the decade. While Bruins fans will always remember it as one of the greatest comeback victories in franchise history, the Leafs will be forever plagued by their epic collapse in 2013.
Lucic played a significant role in the Bruins’ comeback efforts that night. Trailing the game by a score of 4-1, he assisted on Horton’s third-period goal, making it a 4-2 game with just over ten minutes left to play. The Bruins continued to press but weren’t able to find the back of the net. That changed when they pulled goalie Tuukka Rask for the extra skater as Lucic barrelled down the ice and created a turnover behind the Leafs’ net. The Bruins held possession, and Zdeno Chara ripped a slapshot on Leafs’ goalie James Reimer. Planted right in front of the net, Lucic buried the rebound, making it a one-goal contest with just 1:22 remaining.
Following the Lucic goal, the tension and atmosphere rose as the Garden came to life. The Bruins had hope, and with Rask on the bench once again, Patrice Bergeron found twine just 31 seconds later to force overtime. Of course, Bergeron went on to score the game-winner, completing the miraculous comeback and pushing the Bruins into Round 2. Bergeron’s heroics are rightfully remembered; however, many may forget just how significant Lucic’s role was in the comeback.
Lucic Hoists the Stanley Cup in Hometown
Lucic became a Stanley Cup champion with the Bruins in the 2010-11 season. Becoming a champion remains one of his greatest career accomplishments to date. Even more endearing for Lucic was the fact that he was able to win in front of friends and family in his hometown city of Vancouver.
After the Bruins were shut out in Game 1, the power forward scored the first goal of the Final for his club in Game 2. Throughout the seven-game series, he chipped in two goals and one assist while compiling 20 penalty minutes. He also memorably taunted Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows by tempting him to bite his finger; Burrows had allegedly bitten Bergeron’s fingers earlier in the series.
The Stanley Cup win was a long time in the making for Lucic and the Bruins, as they had several very good hockey teams leading up to that 2011 championship season. Ahead of this season, he has hopes the team can accomplish that ultimate goal once again. “It’s funny, 2011 wasn’t even the best team I was on when I was here for eight years,” Lucic said. “2009, how good we were, and we lost to Carolina, and then 2014, and we lost to Montreal. Those two teams were a lot better than the 2011 team, but we had the core. We had the foundation to build around. We came off an epic collapse in 2010 and won in 2011. They had the collapse in 2023. Who’s to say the same script can’t be written.”
Lucic’s Return to Boston Will Create New Memorable Moments
I hope these Lucic moments jogged your memories and got you excited for the return of big “Looch” to Boston. Although he is far from the player he was offensively when he departed from the Bruins, he is still a force to be reckoned with on the ice. While playing in a primarily bottom-six or fourth-line role, he is still sure to bring that physicality Bruins’ fans admire. Expect him to create some new lasting memories as the prodigal son returns home to Boston for what will surely be an interesting 2023-24 season.
