Former Bruins winger and 2011 Stanley Cup champion Milan Lucic will be honored on Saturday night for playing in his 1,000th career game last spring. Lucic, who has seven goals and 10 points in 27 games this season, was also feted in April, but without fans in the building due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Anytime you play a former team, you always look forward to it," said Lucic. "I've got to give a lot of appreciation and thank you to the Flames and the organization for their recognizing my 1,000th game played - re-recognizing it tonight in front of the fans.
"It's 1,042 today but it's a special achievement, especially when you look at the list and see how many guys have achieved it. Not having the fans last year for it…it took a little bit away from it, so to have it here tonight and recognize it against a team that I played over half of my games with will be pretty cool."
Lucic played the first eight seasons of his career with the Bruins from 2007-15 and suited up for 566 of his 1,041 games with the Black & Gold. He'll face off against a number of his former teammates on Saturday, including fellow 2011 champions Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and assistant coach Chris Kelly.
"Great teammates, great players, still playing at a high level," said Lucic. "I think that just adds to it, to have some former teammates…just the trainers and stuff here for it - [people] I spent a lot of time with, just adds to it all."
Bergeron said that while all of Lucic's big fights and timely goals over the years - and that memorable body check against Toronto's Mike Vna Ryn that shattered the glass at TD Garden - certainly stand out, he's most fond of the friendship he still shares with his former teammate.
"For me, it's all the memories that we've had as a team and the friendship, obviously, with him and his family and his kids," said Bergeron. "I think that's the one thing when I retire that I'll miss the most is the friendship - I've always said that. With Looch, it's not different. We've done something special in 2011 together and I feel like you're bonded forever.
"I only have good things to say about him. He's one of those guys that he's the life of the party, he's always smiling, he's always happy, he's always brining it. On the ice, he sticks up for his teammates, he's always there for you and you know he's got your back."
