Fan Favourite Reveals Why His Career Almost Came To An End

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Austin Sabourin
October 25, 2023 (0:35)

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Milan Lucic's return to the Boston Bruins this summer was a notable highlight, considering his illustrious history with the team. However, a recent revelation by Lucic sheds light on the tough times he faced during his stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.

As he aims to contribute to Boston's red-hot start in the 2023-24 season, Lucic shared his challenging experience in Alberta. He expressed how close he came to retirement during his final years in Calgary due to the lack of ice time and diminished enjoyment of the game.

"It was the exact opposite. There were games where I was playing four, five, six minutes. You think, 'This is not what I signed up for. This isn't even fun anymore,'"

Lucic stated, reflecting on that difficult period.

Feeling lost and contemplating walking away from the remaining three seasons on his contract, Lucic's return to Boston has been a turning point in his career. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to start anew and the support of his family in this journey.

"Just so I could focus on something new, something fresh," Lucic noted, "Because maybe if I had gone back to Boston, it would have been a little harder to deal with. Because that's all I knew. I was used to him being around while I was a Bruin."

While his later years in Calgary witnessed a decline in on-ice performance, Lucic's return to Boston has rekindled his career, bringing him full circle to where it all began in 2006. The story of his resurgence adds an intriguing layer to the veteran's remarkable NHL journey.

As seen on houseofhockey