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58-604: On the ice, the Nats finished last overall in the league both years, winning just 27 games in their two years. After their demise, it would be nearly thirty years before the WHL would return to the city of Vancouver, with the Vancouver Giants established as an expansion team in 2001. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against This Canadian ice hockey team-related article

116-505: 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. Lucic underwent surgery in the off-season to repair the sinus. In August 2011, Lucic had his customary day in possession of the Stanley Cup, which he spent in Vancouver. While it is traditional for players to host public celebrations with

174-655: A 2–2 tie game at home against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets . 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 . Lucic excelled during his season with the Kings, playing a strong two-way game while recording 20 goals, 35 assists for 55 points during the regular season. Lucic also added three assists in five games in

232-420: A boost in attendance for the club—nearly 9,000 fans attended the team's season-opener, and the team averaged 8,400 spectators that season; Toigo later stated that the lockout was a definite factor in "putting us on the map". The Giants capitalized by putting together a string of successful seasons that saw the team capture five consecutive B.C. Division titles between 2005 and 2010. The run of success began with

290-520: A chance for a fresh start. Lucic switched back to his familiar no. 17 with the Flames. Lucic began his tenure with the Flames on a prolonged goal drought, made more notorious by Neal scoring seven goals (including a four-goal game) in his first seven games with the Oilers. 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

348-451: A fight. In the ensuing scrum, Lucic punched Meyer as the two were being restrained by referees, resulting in a match penalty. 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. In January 2011, he missed three games with a shoulder injury. Lucic completed

406-619: A line with the Bruins' top centre, Marc Savard . 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. While the Bruins argued that Lucic used predominantly his glove, rather than his stick, the League held its decision. After serving his suspension, Lucic and

464-683: A private ceremony before the game against the Canucks, he was presented a replacement ring by Vancouver Giants ownership. Lucic was chosen to his second YoungStars Game in January 2009. However, he did not compete for the sophomores in Montreal due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. Near the end of the season, on April 4, 2009, Lucic was awarded the Bruins' Eddie Shore Award for hustle and determination. He finished his second NHL season improving to 17 goals and 42 points in 72 games, while playing predominantly on

522-677: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team playing based in Langley, British Columbia , and playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Founded in 2001, the Giants won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions in 2006 and the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 2007 . The team

580-548: Is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent . He most recently played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). 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 . He was selected 50th overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft and made

638-514: The 2007 Memorial Cup , which secured them a berth in the tournament despite their championship series defeat. The Giants secured a spot in the tournament final with an 8–1 semifinal win over the Plymouth Whalers , setting up a rematch with the Tigers. In the final, the Giants avenged their WHL title defeat with a 3–1 victory over the Tigers to secure the team's first Memorial Cup championship. Lucic

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696-668: 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. Later that week, Lucic made a much-publicized return to his hometown in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, which featured a picture of him as a baby on the back page of Vancouver's The Province newspaper. Earlier in the year, Lucic's 2007 Memorial Cup ring had been stolen from his home in East Vancouver on July 10, 2008. In

754-480: The 2016 playoffs . As an unrestricted free agent, on the opening day of free agency, Lucic signed a seven-year, $ 42 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, 2016. As his usual jersey number 17 was retired by the Oilers for Jari Kurri , he switched to number 27, his number during his junior years. Lucic enjoyed a successful first year with the Oilers, tallying 23 goals and 50 points to help lead

812-636: The Calgary Flames in July 2019. Internationally, Lucic captained the Canada junior team at the 2007 Super Series . He plays physically in the style of a power forward . Lucic was born in East Vancouver to Serbian couple Dobrivoje "Dobro" Lučić and Snežana Kesa. His father, Dobro, was a longshoreman in Vancouver who immigrated to North America from his native Serbia when he was 27. His mom, Snezana, came to Vancouver when her parents moved from Serbia when she

870-556: The Columbus Blue Jackets . 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. 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 . Lucic followed that goal with two more in his next three games. By March 2020, when

928-479: The Los Angeles Kings . By also fighting Kings forward Raitis Ivanāns and notching an assist, he recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick (an unofficial statistic constituting a goal, an assist and a fight in one game). Unsure of whether the Bruins would keep him or return him to junior, he stayed in a downtown hotel in Boston to start the season. However, Lucic made enough of an impression during his first set of games with

986-649: The WHL Bantam Draft —Brule would go on to become the team's first major star player, beginning with winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year in 2004. That season, the team won its first playoff round, defeating the Kamloops Blazers before losing to the Everett Silvertips in the second round. Along with the Giants' improving play, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to

1044-524: The 2019 final, the Giants faced the regular season champion Prince Albert Raiders ; the Giants fell behind in the series three games to one before forcing a decisive game seven in Prince Albert. In game seven, the Raiders won 3–2 in overtime, marking the second game seven overtime defeat in the finals in Giants history. In 2022, the Giants made history by selecting Chloe Primerano in the thirteenth round of

1102-471: The 35th anniversary of the historic 1972 Summit Series . He recorded three assists as Canada won the series with seven wins and a tie. Two years later, Lucic was invited to Canada senior team 's summer orientation camp in Calgary for the 2010 Winter Olympics . He was not, however, chosen to the final roster. Lucic was also invited to the orientation camp for the 2014 Winter Olympics , but again did not make

1160-542: The 50th pick, adding, "We were fortunate to get him." The following season, in 2006–07 , Lucic emerged as one of the Giants' leaders, finishing first in team scoring with 68 points in 70 games. He added 19 points in 22 postseason games as the Giants lost the WHL Finals to the Medicine Hat Tigers in seven games. Despite losing the WHL title, Vancouver appeared in the 2007 Memorial Cup as tournament hosts. Lucic and

1218-463: The Bruins on August 2. He had been chosen as the Giants' next team captain, but made the Bruins' 2007–08 opening roster out of training camp. He played in his first career NHL game on October 5, 2007, a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars , in which he fought opposing forward Brad Winchester . His first goal came a week later on October 12 against Jonathan Bernier , a game winner , in an 8–6 win against

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1276-465: The Bruins through to the 2012–13 season . The deal is structured at US$ 4 million for the first two seasons and US$ 4.25 million in the third, a raise from his US$ 685,000 base salary in 2009–10. 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 . Lucic returned to the Bruins lineup on November 19 but

1334-531: The Bruins went on to eliminate the Canadiens, advancing to the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes , to whom the Bruins lost in seven games. Lucic added nine points in ten games in the playoffs. With the 2009–10 season marking the final year of his original entry-level contract, it was announced on October 6, 2009, that Lucic had been signed to a three-year, US$ 12.25 million contract extension with

1392-547: The Bruins, showing grit and consistent willingness to fight (he recorded 13 fighting majors in his rookie season), that they decided to keep him in the lineup. Bruins management informed the Giants before Lucic's tenth game, accounting for the NHL's nine-game maximum for junior-eligible players to stay with their NHL club without initiating their contract. He was chosen to participate in the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game and finished his rookie campaign with eight goals and 27 points. Towards

1450-550: The Bruins’ roster as a 19-year-old in 2007–08 . Three years later, he won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins. He spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with Boston before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015. After a single season in Los Angeles, Lucic signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016, playing three seasons for the Oilers before being traded to

1508-523: The Cup was private, many of his functions were held in public venues, which were reportedly well received by passers-by. He brought the trophy to his hometown church, St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Burnaby , for a gathering of approximately 350 people and on a harbour cruise with friends and family. He finished the day atop Grouse Mountain , the same place where he and his Vancouver Giants teammates took

1566-562: The Giants full-time in 2005–06 , scoring 19 points in 62 games. He added seven points in 18 playoff games to help the Giants to a WHL title and an appearance in the 2006 Memorial Cup . In the off-season, he was selected 50th overall by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2006 NHL entry draft . Bruins management had considered taking Lucic earlier in the second round with the 37th overall pick but chose defenceman Yuri Alexandrov instead. Bruins Director of Scouting Scott Bradley admitted he did not expect Lucic to still be available with

1624-700: The Giants met Medicine Hat once more in the tournament final, capturing the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) title by a 3–1 score. Lucic assisted on Michal Řepík 's tournament-winning goal with five minutes to play in regulation. He finished the tournament tied for the lead in scoring with Řepík (with more goals, Řepík was awarded the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as leading scorer) and earned the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. Nearly four years after his last junior game, Lucic

1682-506: The Memorial Cup after their CHL victory in 2007. Months later, in February 2012, the church he brought the trophy to was vandalized. 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 . Miller had come out of his net to play a puck that Lucic last touched midway between

1740-528: The NHL ruled that the Oilers owed the Flames a third-round draft choice in Edmonton's choice of either the 2020 or 2021 drafts as a result of a trade condition the two teams had made as part of the Lucic/Neal swap. On April 13, 2021, Lucic played his 1000th NHL game , becoming the 352nd player to reach the 1,000-game mark. On July 1, 2023, Lucic returned to Boston, signing a one-year, $ 1 million contract with

1798-401: The Oilers would owe the Flames a third-round draft choice in the 2020 draft. Due to the abrupt and incomplete finish to the 2019–20 season, the Flames and Oilers remained at an impasse over how to resolve the trade condition, given that Neal finished with 19 goals (two fewer than the required threshold) but was on pace to surpass 21 if the season played to its 82-game conclusion. On July 31, 2020,

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1856-417: The Oilers, including a goal drought of over 40 games. On July 19, 2019, Lucic waived his no-movement clause and was traded, along with a conditional [[ 2020 NHL entry draft |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

1914-603: The WHL prospects draft, making Primerano the first-ever female skater selected in a Canadian Hockey League draft. In 2023, when Michael Dyck left the organization to join the professional ranks, the Giants hired Manny Viveiros as their new head coach. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts, SOL = Shootout losses Pts, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Canadian Hockey League champion Western Hockey League playoff champion First place in regular season List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni: List of players on

1972-411: The breakthrough of second-year forward Milan Lucic helping to make up for the off-season loss of Brule, the Giants returned to the WHL championship series in 2007 in a playoff run that also featured the debut of future star Evander Kane . In the final, they faced the Medicine Hat Tigers , narrowly losing the series in the second overtime period of game seven. However, the Giants were selected to host

2030-501: The centre line and the Sabres' blue line. As Miller shot the puck towards the end-boards, Lucic collided with him heavily, knocking him to the ice. Miller was diagnosed with a concussion and was sidelined for several games; he also heavily criticized Lucic for his actions and called him a "gutless piece of shit" in post-game comments. The day after the hit, the NHL held a hearing with Lucic and later announced that he would not be suspended for

2088-483: The deciding seventh game, which the Bruins lost 4–3. In the second month of the 2010–11 season , Lucic recorded a natural hat-trick on November 18, 2010, during a 4–0 win over the Florida Panthers . Later in the campaign, he was fined $ 3,500 by the NHL for his actions during a game against Atlanta on December 23. After Lucic was hit by opposing defenceman Freddy Meyer , teammate Andrew Ference engaged Meyer in

2146-403: The end of the season, he was voted by Bruins fans for the team's Seventh Player Award for exceeding expectations. 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. He finished his first NHL postseason with two goals as the Bruins were eliminated by the Canadiens in seven games. Early into

2204-515: The estate of Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe , and singer Michael Bublé . The team was first based out of Pacific Coliseum, the former Canucks arena in downtown Vancouver; in 2016, after 15 seasons, the team moved to the Langley Events Centre. After a dismal inaugural season, typical for an expansion team, that saw the Giants win only 13 games, the team rapidly improved. In 2002, the Giants selected Gilbert Brule first overall in

2262-462: The final roster. Lucic was be named to the roster for the 2023 World Championship , winning gold with the team. Lucic has Scheuermann's disease . In November 2023, Lucic's wife made a 911 call, reporting that he had pulled her hair and tried to strangle her. He was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery. Lucic pled not guilty and was released. In February 2024, his wife decided not to testify against him in court. The judge then ruled that

2320-513: The hiring of former NHL coach Don Hay as head coach, replacing Dean Evason . Then, in 2005, general manager Scott Bonner acquired a number of key players including Kenndal McArdle , Wacey Rabbit , and goaltender Dustin Slade , who, along with Brule, would lead the team to its first championship. In 2006, the Giants captured their first league championship, defeating the Moose Jaw Warriors in

2378-541: The last three weeks of the season were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Lucic had eight goals, with only Elias Lindholm , Sean Monahan , and Johnny Gaudreau having recorded more than Lucic's five powerplay goals on the season. At the time of the Lucic-for-Neal trade, the Flames and Oilers had agreed that should Neal score at least 21 goals in the 2019–20 NHL season and Lucic score at least 10 fewer goals than Neal,

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2436-416: The league final in four games, with Brule earning most valuable player honours. The win advanced the Giants to their first Memorial Cup tournament, in which they were eliminated in the semifinal by the host Moncton Wildcats . Despite the loss, Brule recorded 12 points in the tournament, the highest total in the tournament since 1997 and enough to secure the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the leading scorer. With

2494-455: The play, citing that the minor penalty for charging that was assessed during the game was sufficient. A few weeks after this incident, he received a one-game suspension for an illegal hit on Philadelphia forward Zac Rinaldo . Lucic hit Rinaldo from behind during a battle for the puck along the boards, although he was not seriously injured on the play. A short time into the 2013–14 season , Lucic scored his first-ever NHL overtime goal to break

2552-562: The postseason with 12 points (five goals and seven assists) in 25 games, he helped the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup since 1972 , as the team defeated the Canucks in game 7 of the Finals. It was later reported that Lucic was playing through a couple of injuries during the playoffs. During the Eastern Conference Finals, he suffered a broken toe after blocking a shot from teammate Tyler Seguin during practice. He also struggled with

2610-635: The season with a career-high 30 goals, 32 assists and 62 points in 79 games. He led the Bruins in goal-scoring while tying for the points lead with centre David Krejčí . Entering the 2011 playoffs as the third seed in the East, 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. Although Lucic scored below his regular season pace during

2668-579: The team to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 . The Oilers defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games but lost to the Anaheim Ducks in seven games with Lucic scoring six points in 13 playoff games. Following his first season in Edmonton, Lucic's production began to dramatically decline. A disappointing second season saw Lucic score just 10 goals and 34 points. This was followed up by scoring just six goals and 20 points in his third year with

2726-600: The team's Ring of Honour: Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Giants player Rookie of the year Defenceman of the year Regular season plus-minus leader Humanitarian of the year Regular season scoring champion Coach of the Year Memorial Cup scoring leader Memorial Cup MVP Milan Lucic Milan Lucic ( Serbian pronunciation: [mǐlan lûːtʃitɕ] ; born June 7, 1988)

2784-521: The team. At age 15, Lucic was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease , a condition that can cause the upper back to curve and has given him a hunched-over posture. Lucic played minor ice hockey (VMHA) in Vancouver, but nearly quit the sport after being passed up in the 2003 WHL bantam draft . He was invited to play for the Coquitlam Express of the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), but

2842-585: The team. Only four games into his season, Lucic took a puck to the ankle and was placed on long-term injured reserve by the Bruins. In the early morning of November 18, 2023, while still out of the lineup due to injury, Lucic was arrested in Boston for a "domestic incident". On November 21, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault and battery on a family member who was later revealed to be his wife. Lucic allegedly pulled his wife's hair and attempted to choke her. The charges were dropped on February 16, 2024. Lucic

2900-560: The trophy in their hometowns, Lucic chose to keep the day private, explaining that "I grew up a Canucks fan. I know how it is." Following the Canucks' defeat in the Finals, fans had staged an hours-long riot in Downtown Vancouver . More personally, posters of Lucic at a local cultural community centre were defaced. Also, an appearance by Lucic at a Greek festival in Vancouver sparked a public brawl; The Vancouver Sun reported that Lucic did not throw any punches. While Lucic's day with

2958-470: The two injuries; he recorded nine goals and 20 points to finish the regular season. He added nine points in 13 playoff games as the Bruins were eliminated in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers . They became the third team in NHL history to lose a playoff series after having led three games to none. All five goals Lucic scored in the playoffs were recorded in the second round, including two in

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3016-630: Was based in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver , the former arena of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks , until moving to the Langley Events Centre in 2016. British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo was granted a WHL expansion franchise for the city of Vancouver ahead of the 2001–02 season . In the following years, the club's ownership group would grow to include Sultan Thiara, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Pat Quinn ,

3074-593: Was further demoralized when he initially failed to make the team out of rookie camp. He agreed to play, instead, for the Junior B Delta Ice Hawks , but later played his way onto the Express after five games. Lucic began his junior career with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL in 2004–05. In the same season, he made his major junior debut with the Vancouver Giants , his hometown Western Hockey League (WHL) team, playing in one regular season game and two playoff games. He joined

3132-408: Was given an indefinite leave of absence, and, combined with his injury, did not play for the remainder of the 2023–24 season . In the off-season following Lucic's MVP performance at the 2007 Memorial Cup , he was named team captain of Canada junior team for the 2007 Super Series against Russia . The series, an eight-game competition between Canada and Russia's under-20 teams, commemorated

3190-520: Was honoured by the Giants before a game against the Chilliwack Bruins on February 25, 2011. Dubbed "Milan Lucic Night," he was added to the club's Ring of Honour, showcasing the top Giants alumni of all time. The first 500 game attendees were also given free Lucic bobblehead dolls. As part of the team's tenth anniversary, he was also voted by fans as the team's best player of all time. In the 2007 off-season, Lucic signed an entry-level contract with

3248-468: Was injured again four games later, suffering a sprained ankle in a game against the Minnesota Wild on November 25. His left leg had buckled from underneath him while reaching behind him to receive a pass from teammate Dennis Wideman . Missing an additional 18 games, Lucic was limited to 50 contests in his third NHL season. His play was perceived by Head Coach Claude Julien to have suffered following

3306-516: Was just 2. He has a younger brother named Nikola and an older brother named Jovan . 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 . Growing up, Lucic attended Killarney Secondary in Vancouver. He was a fan of the hometown Vancouver Canucks and has named forward Todd Bertuzzi as one of his favourite players when following

3364-613: Was named tournament MVP. In 2023, the 2007 Giants team was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Giants would set franchise records with 57 wins 119 points in 2008–09 and make consecutive runs to the Conference finals in 2009 and 2010. However, after the 2010, the team failed to win another playoff series until they returned to the championship final in 2019. During that stretch, Bonner stepped down as manager after 15 seasons, replaced first by Glen Hanlon and then, in 2018, by Barclay Parneta, who hired Michael Dyck as head coach. In

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