Bruins winger Milan Lucic allegedly attacked wife during argument, police say

Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic during a hockey game on Oct. 3 in Boston.Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Update, Nov. 21: Milan Lucic pleads not guilty to assault and battery charge

Bruins forward Milan Lucic allegedly pulled his wife by her hair and tried to choke her during an argument inside their North End condominium that she said began after he returned home from a night out and couldn’t find his phone, according to a police report.

After Lucic’s wife called 911 around 1 a.m. Saturday, police met her in the lobby of their Battery Street building, according to the report, which provided new details about the alleged domestic attack. Lucic, 35, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of assault and battery on a family member.

According to the report, she told officers Lucic couldn’t find his phone after returning home and “began yelling at her, demanding his phone back, believing she had hidden the phone,” according to the report.

She told Lucic she didn’t have his phone or know where it was and walked away from him. He then “grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backwards,” police wrote.

“She stated that in doing so, the suspect stated to her that she was not going anywhere,” police wrote.

She said Lucic had been drinking during the evening.

An officer “observed redness” on her chest and asked her if Lucic had “attempted to strangle her during the incident. She stated he did not,” police wrote.

During her 911 call, she said Lucic had “attempted to choke her,” according to the report. She declined medical attention and was provided with information about her right for a restraining order under the state’s domestic violence protection law, police wrote.

It was not clear if Lucic had hired an attorney to represent him. His agent could not be reached for comment.

After speaking with Lucic’s wife, officers went to the apartment and spoke with Lucic, who “appeared intoxicated when he answered the door,” police wrote.

“He stated to officers nothing happened and did not provide an explanation,” the report said.

They checked to see if Lucic had any past criminal charges or outstanding restraining orders and did not find any, police wrote.

Lucic was cooperative when police told them he was going to be arrested on a domestic violence charge, the report said. When he was taken to a bedroom to get some clothes, officers saw a broken lamp on a nightstand and shards of what appeared to a small amount of glass on the floor.

Lucic “stated that it was broken shards of plastic,” police wrote. Lucic was taken into custody without incident.

The Bruins said Saturday that Lucic was taking an “indefinite leave of absence from the team.”

“The organization takes these matters very seriously and will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need,” the team said in a statement.

On Monday, the team did not respond to requests for comment about the allegations contained in the police report.

In 2011, police went to Commercial Street in the North End around 1:30 a.m. after Lucic was seen standing over his then-girlfriend while she lay on the ground. Lucic was not arrested and both people said the incident was a misunderstanding.

“Ppl can believe whatever but I assure you this was blown out of cntrl,’” Lucic’s girlfriend posted on Twitter at the time. “Either way Milan is a class act and the way he was portrayed and the situation was terrible!”

Lucic’s marketing representative, Cleon Daskalakis, told the Globe at the time that the couple had an argument but that it wasn’t violent.

The Bruins selected Lucic in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft. He played his first game for the team in 2007 and stayed with Boston until 2015. He was one of the stars of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team. From 2015 to 2023, he spent time with the Kings, Oilers, and Flames.

Lucic returned to the Bruins in July on a one-year, $1 million contract. Lucic has not played since Oct. 21, when he injured his foot. He had been eligible to return Saturday against the Canadiens, but Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said he was behind in his rehab and would probably not play.

On Saturday, after the team announced that Lucic was taking a leave, Montgomery said the organization was taking the allegations against him “extremely seriously.”

“We support the Lucic family, and we will continue to provide support and help for the Lucic family and out of respect for their privacy, that’s all I’m going to comment on the details right now,” Montgomery said.

A conviction on a charge of assault and battery on a family or household member can carry a maximum penalty of two and a half years in jail and a fine of $5,000.

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The National Domestic Violence hotline [phone]) and the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence hotline [phone]) are available to connect people with services, including legal assistance, medical care, and counseling.