Milan Lucic able to make most of his return to Bruins: ‘It looks like I’m coming dwelling’

In any case, it’s been a very long time coming.

“I’ve considered this second for the previous seven years,” Lucic mentioned on Saturday through Zoom, his unblemished new headwear nonetheless in place.

After final donning the black-and-gold sweater within the spring of 2015, Lucic is returning to Boston on a one-year, $1 million contract. Efficiency bonuses will help him safe one other $500,000.

After eight seasons spent totally on the West Coast and Western Canada, Lucic will return to the market the place he hoisted a Stanley Cup and ingratiated himself into the material of an Authentic Six franchise due to his punishing model of play.

“Clearly it’s a spot that’s shut and expensive to my coronary heart,” Lucic mentioned. “Having the chance to return again, you’ll be able to see the smile on my face proper now. It looks like I’m going dwelling. I’ve at all times felt like I’ve at all times been a Bruin. I’m simply so completely happy and grateful for the chance to be a Bruin once more.”

Lots has modified because the final time Lucic took to the ice with Boston. Though Boston hopes to stay aggressive in 2023-24, it stays to be seen if Lucic’s longtime teammates in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci will be a part of him this winter.

Boston’s new core, with gamers like Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman and others are beginning to pave the trail ahead.

However even when Lucic is not the top-six stalwart he as soon as was throughout his first stint in Boston, that doesn’t imply that the 6-foot-3 winger isn’t going to shirk away from any scraps.

“Simply felt like bringing Looch again to Boston was the appropriate factor to do, for all the explanations,” Sweeney mentioned on Saturday. “He looks like he’s bought a number of juice left, and we really feel he can present an actual jolt of each enthusiasm, chunk to our lineup, assist guys like [Trent Frederic] and [Jakub Lauko] and possibly create a bit of little bit of area if anyone’s respiratory down Pasta’s neck.

“It’s a factor we’ve missed. In an ideal world, he by no means would have left, however these selections had been made and we [brought] him again dwelling and we’re completely happy about it.”

Lucic, considered one of many NHL veterans that the Bruins introduced aboard Saturday on short-term, inexpensive offers, ought to carve out a daily position on Boston’s fourth line.

Together with serving as a guiding presence for the anticipated of younger expertise that the Bruins hope to inject into the lineup, Lucic’s trademark thump will probably be welcomed in a ahead corps which may must depend on snarl over ability throughout this cap-crunched season.

“I will help with the younger guys, but in addition simply bringing it on daily basis, bringing it in follow, bringing it in video games, all that sort of stuff,” Lucic mentioned. “That’s one thing that I haven’t misplaced. I nonetheless have that fireside on daily basis, that competitiveness, whether or not it’s follow or video games.”

Lucic’s return stands as one of many few buzz-worthy jolts the Bruins have generated following their solemn, first-round playoff exit and the ramifications that adopted after a slew of “win-now” strikes.

However for as a lot because the cheers of “Looooooooch” from the Backyard crowd ought to develop into a daily prevalence throughout Boston’s upcoming centennial season, Lucic doesn’t need his second go-around with the Bruins to revolve round nostalgic rhetoric. He nonetheless needs outcomes.

“Certainly not is that this a reunion only for a farewell tour,” Lucic mentioned. “I’m coming again for the appropriate causes. I believe I’m coming again to assist this crew proceed to progress and chase a championship, and I’m actually assured in my means to assist this crew try this.”

Lucic believes he nonetheless has extra left within the tank. To show that out on the ice in a metropolis he referred to as dwelling for eight years stands as a becoming approach to carry his hockey journey full circle.

“I’ve been serious about what it will be prefer to placed on the spoked-B, Black and Gold once more. That’s why I’m so grateful for this chance,” Lucic mentioned. “Once you begin someplace, I don’t need to say I took it with no consideration, since you guys all know me. I lived it and I actually did respect what it meant to be a Boston Bruin and residing in Boston and taking part in for an Authentic Six crew and taking part in in entrance of these followers each single evening. … To get to relive that, it’s virtually like I’m extra grateful for it now than I used to be at first as a result of as time goes on, generally you don’t know the way good issues are till it’s gone

“Lots of gamers don’t get to have that chance once more like I get to have. Not solely that, not just for myself and the followers and town, however I get to do that in entrance of my youngsters. My two ladies had been born in Boston, however they had been two and new child after I bought traded. Now they’re 10, eight and 5. For me, to put on the spoked-B in entrance of my kids simply provides to all of it. To get to do that in entrance of the followers once more, it’s going to imply a lot, so proper now I can’t look ahead to October 11 when the primary sport occurs in Boston.”