Milan Lucic (Serbian pronunciation: [mǐlan lûːtʃitɕ]; born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent.

He played major junior career with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for three seasons and captured the Memorial Cup, while being named tournament MVP in 2007.

[6][7] His maternal uncle, Dan Kesa, is a former NHL right winger who played for the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

[2] Lucic played minor ice hockey (VMHA) in Vancouver, but nearly quit the sport after being passed up in the 2003 WHL bantam draft.

[11] He was invited to play for the Coquitlam Express of the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), but was further demoralized when he initially failed to make the team out of rookie camp.

[14] Lucic and the Giants met Medicine Hat once more in the tournament final, capturing the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) title by a 3–1 score.

Dubbed "Milan Lucic Night," he was added to the club's Ring of Honour, showcasing the top Giants alumni of all time.

[24] Matched up against the first-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the opening round, Lucic scored his first Stanley Cup playoffs goal in game 3 on April 13, 2008.

Early into the 2008–09 season, Lucic recorded his first career NHL hat-trick and added an assist in a 5–4 win against the Atlanta Thrashers on October 25, 2008.

[31] He finished his second NHL season improving to 17 goals and 42 points in 72 games, while playing predominantly on a line with the Bruins' top centre, Marc Savard.

[32] Entering the 2009 playoffs with the Bruins as the first seed in the Eastern Conference, Lucic received a one-game suspension after delivering a cross-check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre in game 2 of the first round.

[34] Ten days later, on October 16, he suffered a broken finger requiring surgery in a game against the Dallas Stars while hitting defenceman Stéphane Robidas.

His play was perceived by Head Coach Claude Julien to have suffered following the two injuries;[32] he recorded nine goals and 20 points to finish the regular season.

Three days following the game, Lucic received a $2,500 fine for his punch and an additional $1,000 for an obscene gesture he had made to players on the Thrashers' bench immediately afterward.

[43] Entering the 2011 playoffs as the third seed in the East,[44] the Bruins eliminated the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the first three rounds, en route to the Stanley Cup Finals against Vancouver.

He also struggled with a sinus infection, which was part of a larger problem in his right nostril that traced back to the end of the 2009–10 season and caused improper breathing.

While it is traditional for players to host public celebrations with the trophy in their hometowns, Lucic chose to keep the day private, explaining that "I grew up a Canucks fan.

He finished the day atop Grouse Mountain, the same place where he and his Vancouver Giants teammates took the Memorial Cup after their CHL victory in 2007.

[49] A month and a half into the 2011–12 season, Lucic received considerable attention for a hit against opposing goaltender Ryan Miller during a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

[50] Miller was diagnosed with a concussion and was sidelined for several games;[a] he also heavily criticized Lucic for his actions and called him a "gutless piece of shit" in post-game comments.

[52] The day after the hit, the NHL held a hearing with Lucic and later announced that he would not be suspended for the play, citing that the minor penalty for charging that was assessed during the game was sufficient.

[54] A short time into the 2013–14 season, Lucic scored his first-ever NHL overtime goal to break a 2–2 tie game at home against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.

[55] On June 26, 2015, Lucic was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Martin Jones, Colin Miller and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL entry draft.

[58] Lucic enjoyed a successful first year with the Oilers, tallying 23 goals and 50 points to help lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

On July 19, 2019, Lucic waived his no-movement clause and was traded, along with a conditional 2020 third-round draft choice, to the Calgary Flames in exchange for James Neal.

Both Neal and Lucic had struggled to live up to the expectations attached to their large salaries on their previous teams and the trade gave both players a chance for a fresh start.

[60] On November 2, 2019, during his cold streak, Lucic received a 2-game suspension for roughing Kole Sherwood in a game the previous night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

[61] Lucic's slow start, coupled with concerns about his role on the team and lack of playing time, led him to contemplate retirement early in the season.

[62] Finally, in his 28th game of the 2019–20 season, Lucic scored his first goal as a Flame, converting on a pass by Derek Ryan in a 4–3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.