Hockey fans in Boston not only love watching Milan Lucic pummel opponents on the Garden ice, they expect it on a nightly basis.
It's no surprise that the Hub eats up this style of play, but what Lucic hopes is that the Canadian Olympic team wants it too, as the left winger is vying for a spot on the national team for February's Olympic Games.
"I can bring a lot of energy," Lucic told NHL.com. "Obviously the crowd is going to be on our side and if you can get them going with a big hit that works to our advantage. Also, you have to be good on the forecheck because with smaller ice they'll be able to clog up the neutral zone a bit more. Getting on the forecheck and regaining the puck works to my favor."
The two-year veteran bruiser isn't your prototypical one-dimensional goon. Lucic also has a scoring touch, potting 17 goals in 72 games last season for the Black and Gold.
"He gets around the ice better than most big guys and, at the end of
the day, you can also feel his hockey sense," Canadian associate coach
Ken Hitchcock said. "He can play the 200-foot game that Babs [coach Mike Babcock] wants to play."
Looch and his Canadian teammates will be hosting the tourney, which will be set in his hometown of Vancouver. Needless to say, the 21-year-old is looking forward at the possibility of playing in front of not just his country but friends and family.
"Not only playing in an Olympics, but in my home town in an Olympics — that's got to be a dream come true for anybody in any sport," Lucic said. "It's all gone well for me there and this would just top the list among accomplishments that can happen in Vancouver."
