Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic pleads not guilty to assaulting his wife, released without bail

Content warning: This story details an alleged domestic assault.

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic entered a plea of not guilty to one count of assault and battery against a family member in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday morning and was released on his own recognizance by the judge.

According to the Associated Press, Lucic did not speak in court. The plea was entered on his behalf and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for Jan. 19. As condition of his bail, which includes no money forfeiture but a signed promise to appear in court when required to do so, Lucic is prohibited from abusing or harassing his wife and from consuming alcohol. He was also granted the ability to appear on the next hearing via video call.

Lucic, 35, was arrested by Boston Police in the early morning hours of Nov. 18 after a domestic incident. Sources told Daily Faceoff that a 911 call was made on Friday night saying that Lucic attempted to choke his wife, Brittany, after a verbal argument allegedly turned physical.

According to a copy of the police report, which was obtained by the Boston Globe, Lucic allegedly pulled his wife’s hair and police “observed redness on the victim’s chest area.”

“She stated that she attempted to walk away from her husband and stated that her husband grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backwards,” police wrote in the report, according to the Globe. “She stated that in doing so, the suspect stated to her that she was not going anywhere.”

Police also wrote that Lucic appeared to be intoxicated when he answered the door and stated “nothing happened” and provided no explanation for the incident. When told that he was going to be arrested for domestic violence, officers observed a broken lamp on the nightstand and what appeared to be shards of broken glass on the floor, while escorting him to his bedroom to get clothing.

When Boston Police asked Lucic’s wife whether Lucic attempted to strangle her, “she stated he did not,” according to the Globe. Sources said it was the Boston District Attorney’s office who decided to press charges in this case, based on the evidence provided by police. Sources also said Lucic’s children were hosting a sleepover at their downtown condo that night with friends over. According to the police report, the argument allegedly began over a missing cell phone.

The NHL has yet to comment on or acknowledge Lucic’s arrest and charges. The Bruins announced on Saturday that Lucic was taking an “indefinite leave of absence” from the team after what it only described as an “incident.”

The NHL does not have a clearly defined domestic violence policy, though Lucic would be subject to discipline for off-ice conduct by commissioner Gary Bettman.

Lucic, who was a key part of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1 to return for a second tour of duty with the Bruins. He could earn an additional $500,000 in performance-based bonuses. Lucic had only played four games this season, most recently missing additional time after blocking a shot, and coach Jim Montgomery said on Friday a few hours before the incident that his rehab process was slow.