Milan Lucic will be away from the Boston Bruins indefinitely, the team has announced, following his involvement in an unspecified incident on Friday night.
The Bruins said they are aware of the situation and “take these matters very seriously” in a statement they released on Saturday, but they did not go into any further detail about the incident. The group promised to collaborate with Lucic’s family to offer any help and support required.
Lucic’s early Saturday morning arrest was confirmed or denied by Boston Police. Lucic’s agent did not promptly respond to a message that was sent to them.
With the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames, among other teams, Lucic, 35, has played in over 1,300 NHL games. He returned to the team last summer after signing a $1 million, one-year free-agent contract with $500,000 in potential incentives. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.
Due to an injury, the native of Vancouver has not played since October 21.
The Bruins stated they would have no more comments before their Saturday night home match against Montreal. Following the team’s morning skate, coach Jim Montgomery reiterated that, stating that he had not spoken with Lucic and would not discuss any more specifics out of consideration for privacy.
When asked how the circumstance wouldn’t affect the team, Montgomery responded, “We have a great culture here, and we care about each other.” It’s not your typical day after all. But tonight’s game is important, and we’re professionals. It is something we must prepare for.