Milan Lucic, a winger for the Boston Bruins, had his domestic abuse lawsuit dropped on Friday, according to Phil Tenser of WCVB.
A judge decided that Lucic’s wife’s 911 call could not be utilized as evidence in the case since it did not name the Bruins forward as the suspect explicitly. Lucic’s wife declined to testify in court.
The caller was never asked for her last name or to identify Lucic by name, the 911 dispatcher who handled the call stated in court.
Lucic’s wife reported that “her husband” had attempted to strangle her when she called 911. Later, as she was meeting with police in the foyer of their apartment building, she revealed that she was Lucic’s wife.
Tenser claims that the defense “debated the admissibility of the call without the ability to question the caller in court,” and that in the end the judge took the defense’s side and prohibited the use of the 911 recording as evidence.
Since his arrest in November on suspicion of assault and battery during an incident at their Boston apartment, Lucic has been placed on leave from the Bruins.
After a night out in the city, Lucic allegedly could not find his cellphone and started ranting and demanding that his wife hand him the phone. This is when the event happened.
The 35-year-old’s spouse informed him that she was missing his phone and had no idea where it was. She apparently tried to leave, but Lucic grabbed her hair, dragged her back, and declared that she “wasn’t going anywhere.”
Lucic seemed to be inebriated, according to the officers who arrived on the scene. They noticed a shattered light in the bedroom and what looked like glass pieces on the floor when they led him back to the flat to get some of his items. According to WCVB, Lucic’s wife denied that he had strangled her even though they had noticed redness on her chest.
Following the game, Lucic was announced by the Bruins as taking “an indefinite leave of absence” from the team. The forward was also going to enroll in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program, according to the organization at the time.
Tenser reports that defense counsel Gary Pelletier expressed optimism that Friday’s judgment will allow Lucic to return to the NHL, despite the fact that he hasn’t played in a game since October 21.
Lucic plans to speak with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Pelletier continued.
According to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, the Bruins announced in a statement that he will be on leave from the team for the balance of the 2023–24 campaign.
The Bruins released a statement saying, “Milan Lucic will remain on indefinite leave from the organization for the remainder of the 2023–24 season.” “The Boston Bruins organization supports Milan and his family as he continues his personal rehabilitation.”
After being selected in the second round by the Bruins in 2006, Lucic played his first eight seasons in Boston, where he was a 2011 Stanley Cup winner.
After playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames, the native Canadian decided to sign a one-year contract to rejoin the Bruins before the 2023–24 season. Prior to taking a leave of absence, he had contributed two assists in four games this season.