By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism
Prosecutors Friday morning dropped all charges against Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic in his domestic assault case as a result of an incident that took place in November. Lucic was charged with assault and battery on a family member, pleading not guilty. On the first day the trial was set to take place, his wife decided not to testify against him in court. The judge also ruled the 911 call made the night of the incident inadmissible, forcing prosecutors to drop charges.
Lucic has been on an indefinite leave of absence from the Bruins since the news broke of his arrest in November, whose National Hockey League contract was never terminated. At the time of his dismissal from the team, Lucic was already placed on long-term injured reserve after suiting up for just four games with the Bruins before suffering a shot to the ankle in a matchup with the Los Angeles Kings in late October. Lucic then entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, which is offered to all players to help navigate personal mental health issues.
Lucic’s representation stated on Friday that the 35-year-old forward hopes to return to the NHL and is making arrangements to meet with commissioner Gary Bettman. Lucic was signed by the Bruins as a free agent last summer, agreeing to a one-year, $1 million contract to mark a homecoming to Boston after his previous season with the team in 2014-15. While Lucic’s future is still up in the air, so is his future with the Bruins; Boston could decide to terminate his contract or reinstate him to the team.
If Bruins management wants to bring Lucic back to the team, they certainly have some things to consider. For starters, the veteran forward hasn’t seen any game action since October 21st, so it’s safe to say the left winger would be rusty. The most apparent cause for concern for Boston would be Lucic’s actions and situation. Just because charges were dropped in the legal case doesn’t necessarily mean Lucic didn’t commit the alleged acts, which have no place in hockey or the NHL. It will be decided in the coming days if Bettman, the Bruins, or the other teams across the league think Lucic deserves a second chance.
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