Milan Lučić

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 230px
position = Left Wing
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 220
team = Boston Bruins
nickname = Gino, Looch [ [http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=346888 Boston Bruins - The Andrew Alberts Report: Off the Road, Ready to Go! - 12/16/2007 ] ]
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
nationality_2 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1988|6|7|mf=y
birth_place = Vancouver, BC, CAN
career_start = 2007
draft = 2nd Round, 50th overall
draft_year = 2006
draft_team = Boston Bruins

Milan Lučić (born June 7, 1988) is a Serbian-Canadian professional ice hockey player playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was born and raised in East Vancouver by Serbian parents. [cite news |title =Bruins believe additions are pluses|url =http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2006/06/26/bruins_believe_additions_are_pluses/|author =Marrapese-Burrell, Nancy|publisher =Boston Globe|date =2006-06-26|accessdate =2008-04-06]

Playing career

Lucic began playing junior with the Burnaby Express of the BCHL in 2004-05. In the same season, he would also debut with the Vancouver Giants, his hometown WHL team, playing one game.

After Lucic's first full season with the Giants in 2005-06, he was selected 50th overall by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The following season, Lucic would emerge as one of the Giants' leaders, finishing first in team scoring with 68 points. He would help take the Giants to game seven of the WHL finals, eventually losing to the Medicine Hat Tigers. However, as Vancouver was chosen to play host to the 2007 Memorial Cup, Lucic and the Giants would eventually win the CHL title on home ice, defeating the same Medicine Hat club. Leading the tournament in scoring with seven points, he would also earn Memorial Cup MVP honours.

On August 2, 2007, Lučić signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins. Later that month, he was named captain of Team Canada for the 2007 Super Series against Russia. [citeweb|title=Canada names Lucic captain for Super Series|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/08/25/canada-lucic-captain.html|accessdate=2008-07-21|date=2007-08-25|publisher=CBC Sports] Team Canada won the series 7-0-1.

In 2007-08, Lučić made the Bruins out of training camp and played in his first NHL game on October 5, 2007, a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in which he fought Brad Winchester. [citeweb|title=Turco limits Bruins to power-play goal as Stars win home opener|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=271005009|accessdate=2008-07-21|date=2007-10-06|publisher=ESPN] His first goal came against the Los Angeles Kings a week later, on October 12, while recording a Gordie Howe hat trick. After speculation that he would be returned to the Giants for further development, Lucic made enough of an impression during his first set of games with the Bruins, showing grit and regularly fighting opposing players, that they decided to keep him for the remainder of the season [Bruins.com [http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=341294&page=NewsPage&service=page] ] . That season, Lucic would be chosen to participate in the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game, featuring the league's best rookies.

On April 13, 2008, Lučić scored his first NHL playoff goal in Game 3 (round 1) of the 2008 playoffs against the Montréal Canadiens.

Family

Milan, the son of Dobrivoje Lučić and Snežana Kesa, has a younger brother, Nikola, and an older brother, Jovan. His maternal uncle, Dan Kesa, played for the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

Awards & achievements

*Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup MVP) - 2007
*Memorial Cup All-Star Team - 2007
*NHL YoungStars Game - 2008
*Boston Bruins Seventh Player Award - 2008

Career statistics

References

External links

*hockeydb|83957
* [http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=335595 Boston Bruins Sign Left Wing Milan Lucic]
* [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=221149 Bruins decide to keep Giants' Lucic]