Milan Lucic, former Boston Bruins player, was arrested early Saturday morning following an alleged domestic incident that occurred on Friday night. The Boston Bruins organization swiftly responded by announcing that Lucic would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team in light of the situation.
They wrote in a statement:
“The Boston Bruins are aware of an incident involving Milan Lucic Friday evening. Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously and will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need. We will have no further comment at this time.”
At present, the organization has refrained from providing additional details.
Lucic, who returned to Boston this summer as a free agent, signed a one-year, $1 million contract with an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses. Despite his recent return, Lucic has only played in four games this season, contributing two assists and recording eight hits in just under 12 minutes per contest. An ankle injury has limited his ability to suit up for the team, who has a 12-1-2 record on the season and leads the Eastern Conference with 26 points.
During the prime of his career, Lucic was recognized as one of the NHL’s most formidable power forwards. He played a crucial role in leading the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2011, achieving a career-high 30 goals and 62 points that season. Lucic later signed a massive $42 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers, but was traded to the Calgary Flames during the 2019 offseason. His contract ended there and he was excited to rejoin the Bruins this summer as a free agent, potentially finishing off his NHL career where it started.
The arrest and subsequent leave of absence mark a significant and troubling chapter in Lucic’s career, and if this is how things end for him in the NHL, it is not the way anyone wanted to see his career come to a close.
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