LUCIC’S ‘NOVEL’ TO BE CONTINUED
Rugged veteran forward excited to write the final chapter of this whirlwind year
You’ve heard his story before.
A year ago, Milan Lucic had been struggling as an Edmonton Oilers forward. The 2018-19 National Hockey League season saw the 32-year-old roughand-tumble forward look like a shadow of his former self, his lack of production magnified by a seven-year, $42-million contract inked on July 1, 2016.
Similarly, James Neal’s first campaign had been a bust with the Flames after joining them as a free agent in 2018.
So, a trade between the fierce Alberta rivals was laid on the table.
And almost 365 days later, Lucic can safely say everything happens for a reason.
“You know what? I believe in that,” Lucic said earlier this week, as the Flames continued their optional skates at Scotiabank Saddledome prior to kicking off Phase 3. “To be perfectly honest with you, I had never struggled before I got to Edmonton. I didn’t struggle too badly for the first year and a half, until after the calendar change went into 2018. That was kind of the first time in my career where I really felt like I’d experienced a struggle. Say what you want, I feel like that happened for a reason, too. There was a life lesson to be learned in that, too.”
Of course, it didn’t feel that way at the time for Lucic, who was in limbo of where he stood with the Oilers organization and new general manager Ken Holland. He’d heard the rumours, but adding it to the fact he hadn’t had a conversation about the upcoming season with Holland, Lucic could sense something was brewing.
So, there was no bigger life-altering decision than Flames general manager Brad Treliving’s call last summer, advertising a fresh start with a young team that had just come off a 50-win, 107-point regular season.
“I was like, ‘OK, really? Come on. Am I going to really accept a trade to the rival team?’ Like, let’s be honest here,” Lucic said. “But, I just kind of went with my gut feeling and all that type of stuff. I felt like that was the next chapter of my life and fate or whatnot was going to take me there. And I’ve really enjoyed it since I’ve been here.”
Lucic can also safely admit that 2019-20 is one of the most interesting seasons of his NHL career, which has seen him hoist the
Stanley Cup and log 958 regular season games with the Boston Bruins, who drafted him 50th overall in 2006, the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers and Flames.
While it was a slow start for Lucic on the ice with the Flames, he became a dressing-room favourite quickly and enjoyed the hooplah around the Heritage Classic game last fall. Drama ensued shortly after as the Flames began a downward spiral and frustrating losing skid which featured the collapse of TJ Brodie at practice, Bill Peters’ removal as head coach due to racial slurs he’d hurled at former NHLER Akim Aliu during their time together in the AHL, the appointment of Geoff Ward as head coach and a hamstring injury to Mark Giordano.
Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause on the NHL season on March 12.
It was unfortunate for Lucic, considering he had just begun to feel like himself again and embrace his identity as a Calgary Flame.
“It’ll definitely go down as one of the craziest calendar years for me, personally,” said the married father of three. “That’s why I want the playoffs to happen — so there’s a final chapter to the crazy novel that this season has turned into. I mean, ups, downs … it was just kind of all over the place as far as things have gone this season. Then, it’s been a crazy four months — not just for me but for everyone.”
Which is why Lucic is looking forward to the start of Phase 3. For the Flames, it begins on Monday with training camp at Scotiabank Saddledome.
While other players had different levels of restrictions during the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Lucic was able to skate on the west coast where he worked out on ice with Ian Gallagher’s Delta Hockey Academy.
That gave him an opportunity to be around NHL players for five weeks, and stay in shape before returning to Calgary when Phase 2 began.
Currently, the Flames are in a half-dozen groups, based on different stages of quarantine. Lucic has been skating with Brodie, Sean Monahan, Andrew Mangiapane, Sam Bennett, Michael Stone, Mark Giordano and Alexander Yelesin. Their netminders are Nick Schneider and Artyom Zagadulin.
Lucic, for one, couldn’t be
I want the playoffs to happen — so there’s a final chapter to the crazy novel that this season has turned into . ... It was just kind of all over the place.
happier to be back in Calgary — a chapter in his life which began almost 365 days ago.
“I’ve really enjoyed everyone here,” he said. “I was finding it fun again, I was having fun going to the arena and being around my teammates. It was fun going to practice. It’s always been fun playing games, but for me personally, I think the positives of everything have outweighed the negatives. That’s why I would love nothing more to see how the final chapter ends. That’s why I have my fingers crossed.”