Milan Lucic, 37, Shocks Fans with Unexpected Tryout Invitation from the Blues—What’s Next for the Veteran Star?

When the St. Louis Blues decided to roll the dice on Milan Lucic, a 37-year-old forward whose last NHL moments came in 2023, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Here’s a guy who cut his teeth with the Boston Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup-winning squad, clocked time with the Kings, Oilers, and Flames, before a brief 2023 homecoming to Boston. Things looked promising—two assists over four games—until a rogue puck took him out of the lineup. But life threw some curveballs off the ice too; a troubling incident led to an arrest, though charges fizzled without testimony. Fast forward, and Lucic has reportedly completed the league’s Player Assistance Program, earning a fresh start and NHL reinstatement. Over 17 seasons, this gritty winger piled up 233 goals, 353 assists, and an eye-popping 1,301 penalty minutes—an old-school enforcer who also knew how to find the net at times, like his career-best 32 goals in 2010-11 and that clutch overtime assist which sealed the Bruins’ latest Stanley Cup glory. Now? He’s trying out for a Blues spot. It’s one of those stories that makes you lean in, wondering what’s next for a player many thought had turned the page. LEARN MORE

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues are bringing in 37-year-old forward Milan Lucic, who last played in 2023, for a tryout.

Lucic was a member of the Boston Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup championship team who also played for the Kings, Oilers and Flames before returning to the Bruins in 2023. He had two assists in four games that year before he took a puck off his ankle and went on long-term injured reserve.

Three weeks later, police were called to Lucic’s home by his wife, who told them he pulled her hair and tried to choke her. He was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on a family member, but the charges were dropped when his wife declined to testify in court.

Lucic entered the league’s Player Assistance Program. The Blues say he has completed the program and has been reinstated by the NHL.

Lucic has 233 goals, 353 assists and 1,301 penalty minutes in 17 NHL seasons. He had a career-high 32 goals with 30 assists in 2010-11 and assisted on the overtime winner in Game 7 of the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens to help the Bruins win their most recent Stanley Cup title.