The most uplifting hockey news from this past week had to be the training camp tryout invite extended to 37-year-old Milan Lucic from the St. Louis Blues.
Lucic had not really been associated with an NHL team since November 2023 with the Boston Bruins when an injury, and a subsequent off-ice incident, pushed him into a leave of absence from hockey that lasted for years. Lucic played in just four games that 2023-24 season after returning to Boston following eight seasons spent with the Kings, Oilers and Flames after his eight memorable seasons with the Black and Gold.
The veteran forward was rehabbing from a foot injury when he was arrested in November following a domestic dispute with his wife, where a reportedly intoxicated Lucic tried to choke his wife and grabbed her by the hair. Following the arrest, Lucic took an indefinite leave of absence from the club and never played another game for the team, or for any other NHL team over the last few years.
While the charges were dropped in February 2024 following his wife's decision not to testify, the Bruins opted not to try to bring Lucic back and allowed him to continue his "personal rehabilitation” while other NHL teams steered clear of the veteran forward as well.
There had been rumors about some interest in Lucic from the New Jersey Devils a year ago, but he had not been reinstated by the NHL at that point.
Judging by the social media posts, it appeared this summer like things are in a very good place for both Lucic and his family from an off-ice perspective. Subsequently, Lucic had completed the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and had been reinstated by the NHL.
#Family #Grateful pic.twitter.com/EE29PHCzrD
— Milan Lucic (@27MilanLucic) July 15, 2025
With his personal life now appearing to be in order, it was perhaps only a matter of time before a team was going to take a chance on a player who could still be effective as an intimidating, physical presence that many teams around the NHL are looking for. It’s the exact kind of larger-than-life presence that the Bruins had in mind when they signed Tanner Jeannot to a five-year contract this summer, and a reminder that there are not many guys in the NHL like Lucic and Jeannot these days.
It was the Blues that extended the invite to Lucic, a spot that could be good for the 37-year-old given head coach Jim Montgomery’s own personal history with second chances, and with a team full of young skilled Blues players that could most definitely use the protective presence of a player like Lucic. Montgomery was also the head coach of the Boston Bruins during the 2023-24 NHL season when Lucic’s off-ice troubles cropped up in Boston, making it a fitting full-circle situation for both the player and the coach.
A veteran of 1,177 career games between four franchises, Lucic heads to St. Louis with 233 goals and 586 points in his NHL career and will be the kind of on-ice presence that can create tons of space and room to operate for his linemates.
The real on-ice question at this point is going to be whether a 37-year-old Lucic can keep pace in the NHL that’s getting faster and faster, and younger, after essentially not playing at all for the last two seasons.
But the bigger point is that it’s great news to see that a player that will always be most associated with the Boston Bruins is going to get a chance to perhaps close out his NHL career on his own terms, and that there’s been the kind of personal growth and self-improvement that doesn’t always happen after these kinds of regrettable off-ice situations.
ONE TIMERS
• While there will be a lot of eyes on James Hagens at the Heights this coming hockey season, there are obviously a number of Bruins prospects suiting up for the Eagles hockey team this coming year. Congrats to B’s former seventh-round pick and incoming senior forward Andre Gasseau on being named one of the three captains for the Boston College hockey team this upcoming season.
We're excited to announce that Lukas Gustafsson, Brady Berard, and Andre Gasseau will be our captains for the 2025-26 season!
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) August 18, 2025
📰 https://t.co/WzdLfCu3DV pic.twitter.com/MQipzC3tai
The 6-foot-4 forward is coming off 15 goals and 30 points as a junior for the Eagles and is primed for a big senior season with Hagens, Dean Letourneau, Oskar Jellvik, Will Moore and Kristian Kostadinski as fellow Bruins prospects that are going to give B’s fans a lot to watch during Boston College games during Hockey East play this season.
• David Pastrnak continued his domination of the NHL Network’s offseason rankings as he finished second on the list of 20 right wings right now in the NHL, ranking just behind Tampa Bay Lightning game-breaker Nikita Kucherov.
The NHL Network’s Jamison Coyle, Mike Johnson and Mike Rupp counted down the best wingers based on player performance over the past several seasons, with an emphasis on the 2024-2025 regular season and 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while also considering future upside. The Top 20 Wings Right Now list collectively features 46 All-Star Game appearances, 10 Maurice Richard Trophies, nine Stanley Cups, eight All-Rookie Team honors, five Ted Lindsay Awards, four Hart Trophies, four Art Ross Trophies, three Calder Trophies, and one Conn Smythe Trophy.
“[Pastrnak] is so good at passing, so good at shooting, it’s hard to defend this guy,” said Mike Rupp.
Charlie McAvoy also graced the top-20 defensemen right now rankings as well, finishing 11th among current D-men while he’s coming back from several injuries suffered last season in a year that ended with him on the shelf.
“He’s one of those guys, if I’m picking six defensemen and I need to win a big game, I’d like to have him in my room,” said NHL analyst EJ Hradek.
• The Boston Bruins announced the three stops for their 2025 Fan Fest Tour ahead of training camp, and they will be spread out across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Fans of all ages will have the chance to participate in hockey games, explore interactive exhibits, shop Bruins merchandise and more. The Boston Bruins Foundation will also be on-site with BFit Combine stations for various kid-friendly fitness activities, and members of the Boston Bruins organization are expected to be on site.
At the Fitchburg and Concord stops, kids who have signed up for the Bruins Academy Learn to Play program, presented by Pure Hockey, will have the opportunity to be fitted for brand new hockey gear after registration for the program opened on Aug. 15. Here are the three scheduled stops for the Fan Fest Tour:
Friday, September 5 (Hanover, Massachusetts) Chesna Memorial Rink, 495 Hanover Street, Hanover, MA, 5-8 p.m.
Saturday, September 6 (Fitchburg, Massachusetts) Wallace Civic Center, 1000 John Fitchburg Highway, Fitchburg, MA, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sunday, September 7 (Concord, New Hampshire) Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road, Concord, NH, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.