Why Milan Lucic Chose Bruins Over Two Other Original Six Franchises

They say you can never go home again unless, of course, you are Milan Lucic that is.

When the 35-year-old agreed to a one-year deal with the Bruins, Lucic described the move as having the chance to go home, something he opened up more in-depth on during Tuesday’s episode of “Spittin’ Chiclets.”

“The main thing for me, too, was I kind of wanted to go back to an Original Six team because I really enjoyed that,” Lucic said. “Sometimes when you start somewhere, you don’t really understand what it means until you’re gone. I don’t want to say I took it for granted because I didn’t. I enjoyed and embraced being a Bruin as much as I possibly could, but if you get what I’m saying, sometimes you don’t truly understand it until you go somewhere else.”

However, the Bruins weren’t the only Original Six franchise to come calling when Lucic tested free agency this offseason. The power forward said he fielded calls from the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I enjoyed and embraced being a Bruin as much as I possibly could.”

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic

The Blackhawks were tempting to Lucic because he would have the opportunity to play with the highly touted No. 1 draft pick, Connor Bedard, and he said they have the best jerseys in the NHL. Lucic said he could never play for Toronto given his history with the Bruins and the teams’ rivalry.

Ultimately, he chose to return to Boston.

“Then you realize, OK, like, wearing the spoked-B, playing at the Garden, being in the city of Boston, and not only that, in my 17th year now to get to come back and do that as a Bruin, and it’s going to be their (centennial) season,” Lucic said. “To be back, for the (centennial) season for the first professional American NHL team … all of the stars were aligned for me to come back. That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Lucic spent the first eight years of his career with the Black and Gold before being shipped off to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Martin Jones, Colin Miller and a 2015 first-round draft pick. After his time in LA, Lucic spent the next seven years between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.

Even though he grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Lucic has always considered Boston his home and after rejoining the team, the 2011 Stanley Cup champion said he caught himself watching Bruins games and cheering on the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots while he played for other teams on the West Coast.

“Selfishly, I kind of wanted to do it for my kids, as well,” Lucic explained. “They were two and a newborn when I got traded. They don’t really remember me as a Boston Bruin, so to go back and wear the jersey and put the black and gold on for them … they’ll now see me wearing the spoked-B. Selfishly, that’s kind of cool that I get to share that moment with them. … I’m really looking forward to it.”