Milan Lucic is attempting an NHL comeback by joining the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout.
The Blues announced the PTO signing Tuesday morning, adding that the NHL reinstated Lucic.
The 37-year-old last played on Oct. 21, 2023, with the Boston Bruins. After that, he took a leave of absence from the team and later joined the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Lucic was reportedly charged with domestic violence around the time he took his leave, but the case was later dismissed.
Brittany Lucic, his partner, posted a photo of the two smiling together on Instagram in July. She reposted it on her Instagram story on Tuesday.
"Some people would rather see you broken than see you heal," she wrote in the caption. "They question your strength and recovery like it’s not real. But healing is real… and it’s exactly what this world needs more of."
If Lucic signs an NHL contract, he has a chance at reaching 1,200 career NHL games and 600 points in his 18th season. He's currently at 1,177 matches played and 586 points, so he'd need to play in 23 contests and record 14 points to reach those milestones.
Before Lucic recorded two assists in four games with the Bruins in 2023-24, he played 77 games with the Calgary Flames in 2022-23, putting up seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points. He also recorded 168 hits that season.
Lucic could also increase the number of active NHL players who don't wear a visor.
Right now, that small group consists of four players under contract: Jamie Benn, Ryan O'Reilly, Zach Bogosian and Ryan Reaves. Lucic hasn't regularly worn a visor during his NHL career, either.
All those players were NHL regulars by the time the league introduced a rule in 2013-14 that made any skater who had played fewer than 25 games by that point wear a visor.
When the rule was introduced, Lucic had already played 405 games, recording 97 goals, 142 assists, 239 points, 600 penalty minutes and 1,091 hits. He also had 84 playoff games under his belt, with 22 goals, 54 points and a Stanley Cup championship with the Bruins in 2010-11. His career playoff totals are 136 games, 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points.
Lucic played eight seasons with the Bruins before joining the Los Angeles Kings for one year, then spent three campaigns with the Edmonton Oilers and four in Calgary before rejoining Boston.
The soonest game action Lucic could appear in for the Blues is Saturday, Sept. 20, when they take on the Dallas Stars, whose captain is the visor-less Benn, in a pre-season contest at 7 p.m. ET.
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