Milan Lucic

Bruins management had considered taking Lucic earlier in the second round with the 37th overall pick, but chose defenceman Yuri Alexandrov instead.

Bruins Director of Scouting Scott Bradley admitted he did not Expect Lucic to still be available with the 50th pick, adding, "We were fortunate to get him."

Milan Lucic (born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Lucic played minor hockey (VMHA) in Vancouver, but nearly quit the sport after being passed up in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft.

He was invited to play for the Coquitlam Express of the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), but was further demoralized when he initially failed to make the team out of rookie camp.

He agreed to play, instead, for the Junior B Delta Ice Hawks, but later played his way onto the Express after five games.

In November 2023, Lucic's wife made a 911 call, reporting that he had pulled her hair and tried to strangle her.

He was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery.

Lucic pled not guilty and was released.

In February 2024, his wife decided not to testify against him in court.

The judge then ruled that the 911 call was inadmissible, alleging that "if she was choked, she would have had markings on her neck" (roughly half of strangulation victims have no visible injuries ).

Subsequently, his charges were dropped.

Lucic began his junior career with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL in 2004–05.

In the same season, he made his major junior debut with the Vancouver Giants, his hometown Western Hockey League (WHL) team, playing in one regular-season game and two playoff games.

He joined the Giants full-time in 2005–06, scoring 19 points in 62 games.

He was selected 50th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and made the Bruins’ roster as a 19-year-old in 2007–08.

Three years later, he won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins.

He added seven points in 18 playoff games to help the Giants to a WHL title and an appearance in the 2006 Memorial Cup.

In the off-season, he was selected 50th overall by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

The following season, in 2006–07, Lucic emerged as one of the Giants' leaders, finishing first in team scoring with 68 points in 70 games.

He added 19 points in 22 post-season games as the Giants lost the WHL Finals to the Medicine Hat Tigers in seven games.

He played major junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for three seasons and captured the Memorial Cup, while being named tournament MVP in 2007.

Internationally, Lucic captained the Canadian national junior team at the 2007 Super Series.

He plays physically in the style of a power forward.

Lucic was born in East Vancouver to Serbian couple Dobrivoje "Dobro" Lučić and Snežana Kesa.

His father, Dobro, was a longshoreman in Vancouver who immigrated to North America from his native Serbia when he was 27.

His mom, Snezana, came to Vancouver when her parents moved from Serbia when she was just 2.

He has a younger brother named Nikola and an older brother named Jovan.

His maternal uncle, Dan Kesa, is a former NHL right winger who played for the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

Growing up, Lucic attended Killarney Secondary in Vancouver.

He was a fan of the hometown Vancouver Canucks and has named forward Todd Bertuzzi as one of his favourite players when following the team.

At age 15, Lucic was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease, a condition that can cause the upper back to curve and has given him a hunched-over posture.

Despite losing the WHL title, Vancouver appeared in the 2007 Memorial Cup as tournament hosts.

Lucic and the Giants met Medicine Hat once more in the tournament final, capturing the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) title by a 3–1 score.

Lucic assisted on Michal Řepík's tournament-winning goal with five minutes to play in regulation.

He finished the tournament tied for the lead in scoring with Řepík (with more goals, Řepík was awarded the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as leading scorer) and earned the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP.

Nearly four years after his last junior game, Lucic was honoured by the Giants prior to a game against the Chilliwack Bruins on February 25, 2011.

Dubbed "Milan Lucic Night," he was added to the club's Ring of Honour, showcasing the top Giants alumni of all time.

He spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with Boston prior to being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015.

After a single season in Los Angeles, Lucic signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016, playing three seasons for the Oilers before being traded to the Calgary Flames in July 2019.