Milan Lucic’s NHL comeback with Blues comes to an end

St. Louis, Missouri — Milan Lucic‘s attempt to return to the NHL is officially on hold. The St. Louis Blues announced on Tuesday that they have terminated the veteran forward’s professional tryout offer.

Lucic, 37, had not played in the NHL for over a year prior to signing a professional tryout contract with the Blues at the start of training camp. During the preseason, he scored one goal and added an assist in four games but later missed time due to a lower-body injury.

After recovering, Lucic joined the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In five games with the team, he only registered one assist and did not record a shot in four of those matches. The last game he played was on November 21, where the Thunderbirds secured a 2-1 victory over the Utica Comets.

Before his time with the Blues, Lucic had a challenging start to the 2023-24 season with the Bruins, where he produced two points in four games before suffering an ankle injury. This injury placed him on long-term injured reserve. His situation worsened when he was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery involving a family member, which led the Bruins to place him on indefinite leave for the remainder of the season.

The Blues, with a record of 7-10-6, are struggling at the start of the season and sit seven points behind the Utah Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They are currently four points clear of the Nashville Predators, who have the fewest points in the NHL.