Boston Bruins Salute Milan Lucic on His Return To City With Los Angeles Kings

Milan Lucic is one of the most beloved players to ever don a Boston Bruins jersey, so when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings this offseason, it was a tough blow to the entire city. On Tuesday, Lucic returned to the TD Garden as a member of the Kings for the first time, and midway through the first period, the Bruins honored him with a video tribute.

After the video, the crowd gave him a sustained standing ovation, with many yelling “Looooooch” until the puck dropped to restart play.

This clearly no ill-will on either side of that equation. Lucic was a pending free agent with a $6 million cap hit, and the Bruins received goaltender Martin Jones, defensive prospect Colin Miller and the 13th pick in the 2015 NHL Draft to shed his salary. Lucic also landed in a great spot, as the Kings are one of the best teams in the NHL.

In eight seasons with the Bruins, Lucic became a fan-favorite not only for his skill, but his toughness. He had 342 points in 566 games, while also racking up 55 fighting majors. He also helped lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011.

The Kings already understand how valuable Lucic can be. The 27-year-old has made a seamless transition into the team, and has already racked up 12 goals and 18 assists in 50 games for the first-place club.

No matter how well he does with the Kings, Lucic will always be remembered for his time in Boston. The city gave him a fitting tribute Tuesday night.