Milan Lucic opens up about tough days with Oilers, Flames: 'I felt like I was alone'

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic is soaking up every bit of his second stint with the Original Six franchise, especially considering there were previous times when he contemplated walking away from hockey.

Following eight delightful seasons in Boston, which included a Stanley Cup ring in 2011, Lucic was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the final year of his contract ahead of the 2015-16 season. It was a major shock to his system, even though he completely understood the decision.

Fast-forward to four years later, and the 17-year NHL veteran was on the move via trade again, this time to the Calgary Flames after failing to meet expectations in two of his three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.

Lucic was assured of a refined role with Calgary by then-head coach Bill Peters, but things didn’t play out that way. Instead, his ice time continued diminishing while his offensive production slipped even further.

The 6-foot-3 power forward had hoped to play to his strengths, which included driving to the net, advancing the puck up the ice and making his feared presence felt every time he hopped over the boards. But little of that transpired as he managed just eight goals and 20 points in 68 games while averaging 13:20 per night.

That usage — or lack thereof — caused Lucic to feel betrayed, and it nearly resulted in his retirement during the early stages of his Flames tenure.

“There were games where I’m playing four, five, six minutes. You’re like, ‘This is not what I signed up for. This is not even fun anymore,’” Lucic told The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

Things did improve dramatically following Peters' resignation due to a scandal in which he admitted using racial slurs in the AHL. That led to the hiring of Geoff Ward, who served as an assistant coach in Boston for seven of Lucic’s first eight seasons.

But the two weren’t paired for long, with Darryl Sutter replacing Ward as Calgary’s head coach midway through the 2020-21 campaign. And Lucic's feeling of being lost returned soon after.

That emotion originally derived from his days with the Oilers, particularly his second season, where he followed up a 50-point performance in 82 games with just 34 the next year. Signed to a massive seven-year, $42-million deal, he wanted to prove his worth.

“You’re a proud person and a proud athlete,” Lucic said. “You sign a big contract and you want to live up to the contract. I put a lot of pressure on myself to live up to a certain expectation — to live up to the contract I had signed.

"That kind of put me in a real rut and a real hole that I would never seem to find a way to get out of. What happened? I’m not entirely sure. But it wasn’t fun.”

Lucic mustered only six goals and 20 points across 79 contests during his final season in Edmonton, averaging 13:14 per night — his lowest total since his rookie campaign in Boston (12:07). Those struggles contributed to his feelings of negativity.

“My mindset became so polluted,” Lucic said. “I was always frustrated. I was always angry. I would be angry at the weather. I’d be angry if somebody cut me off. I’d be angry at little things. As much as we want to talk about it being in Edmonton, it was also me being frustrated and angry at myself.

"I was always in a hole that I felt I’d never get out of. Also at a lot of times, I felt like I was alone.”

The last seven seasons — three in Edmonton and four in Calgary — took a massive toll on Lucic. He had gone from being an integral piece of the puzzle to an afterthought but was still receiving a salary like he was the former.

Playing a child’s game, which he had done throughout his prime adult years, was no longer enjoyable. But that changed last spring when he suited up for Canada during the 2023 World Championship.

That experience allowed Lucic to serve as a leader again on a team loaded with young skaters hungry to win gold. He served as an alternate captain, helping lead his home country past Germany in the championship game.

With the victory, Lucic found a renewed love for hockey.

“It was just having fun again,” said Lucic. “When you go to tournaments like that, it’s lighter. The mood is a lot looser. Even though there is pressure to win, especially when you’re Team Canada. But it was just having fun and getting to experience that with the boys was a lot of fun. Then adding the families into that as well and having them to celebrate the championship with was a lot of fun.”

Not only did that earn Lucic a gold medal, it also inspired Bruins GM Don Sweeney to sign him this past summer. Now, in his second stint with Boston, he’s taking full advantage of being reunited with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

They’re the only two skaters remaining from his first go-round with the franchise, but that’s all he needs.

“I lost a little bit of my [gratitude] of being an athlete, of being an NHL player, of being healthy,” Lucic said. “I lost that a little bit in the last six years. So just changing my mindset to being grateful for those things is something that’s helped me get to this point.”