First Time In The City Of Firsts

For anyone who hasn't played in the AHL, it seems like Springfield, Massachusetts is a place where everyone has played at some point in their careers. NHL players like Sam Montembeault, Chris Driedger, James Neal, Owen Tippett, Mason Marchment, and Charlie Lindgren have all played with the Thunderbirds before moving on to NHL jobs with other teams while notable players like Bruce Boudreau, Mike Krushelnyski, Don Cherry, Gerald Diduck, and Pelle Lindbergh all spent time with the Indians. Springfield has a long history in the American Hockey League, but one guy who has never played in the AHL will now call Springfield home for the next few weeks as long-time Bruins forward Milan Lucic signed a PTO contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds today!

As we know, Lucic was looking to crack the St. Louis Blues' roster this season after signing a PTO contract with them to attend training camp. Things were looking good as Lucic recorded a goal and an assist in four games before a groin injury derailed his efforts. St. Louis apparently still had interest in seeing if Lucic could help them this season, and he'll get a second chance to impress management with his efforts as he suits up for the Blues' AHL affilate this week.

Some may be wondering why the Blues are even considering this move, but Lucic is a big-body presence who can go to the net and score goals. He has 233 goals and 586 points in 1177 games, and the Blues can use some size up front after trading Zack Bolduc to the Canadiens. No one is saying that Lucic has the same hands and speed as the younger Bolduc, but Lucic will go to the net, chip a few pucks home, create traffic, and some toughness. The 4-7-2 Blues can certainly use some of that chaos in their lineup this season.

There are whispers as to why the Blues would be willing to give Lucic a shot after his November 2023 arrest on a domestic violence charge. Lucic has been working on cleaning up his his act with help from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to remain sober and to understand his actions that caused charges to be laid. While his wife dropped the charges, she did write about her husband's journey to sobriety on social media. Perhaps he's earned a second chance?

It seems there may be two men who run the Blues on a daily basis who believe he can still contribute. Both head coach Jim Montgomery and assistant coach Claude Julien coached Lucic while he was a member of the Boston Bruins, so they must believe that he can add something to the Blues that they currently lack if GM Bill Armstrong agreed to bring him to training camp on a PTO and, now, giving him a shot with the Thunderbirds. Otherwise, why would Lucic still be in the mix if they weren't convinced he could play at an NHL level?

No one is saying that Lucic should get a free pass here when it comes to his past legal problems, but it seems that he's putting in the necessary work to prevent anything like what happened in 2023 ever happen again. I understand if fans in Springfield don't really want Milan Lucic's baggage coming to town, but the Blues likely don't care what fans in Springfield think when it comes to the St. Louis Blues winning hockey games. It shouldn't be this way, but who is going to tell the NHL what to do when winning is all that matters?

There's no guarantee that Milan Lucic will be signed to a season-long contract by either the St. Louis Blues or the Springfield Thunderbirds, and this opportunity may very well be the final chance he has to extend his hockey career. He'll have to outplay some good, young talent in Springfield to show everyone that he still has the skill, and then it's up to the Blues to decide if that's worth adding him to their roster. In short, nothing is guaranteed for Lucic in Springfield!

The City of Firsts will be the place where Milan Lucic gets his first taste of AHL action in his career. Depending on how that goes, it might be the place where he experiences his last professional hockey action as well. Springfield, Springfield... it's a helluva town!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!