(Boston) Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was released on a promise to appear in court Tuesday after pleading not guilty to charges of assaulting his wife.
According to a Boston Police Department report, Lucic appeared to be intoxicated when officers arrived at his North End apartment early Saturday morning after his wife reported he had tried to strangle her.
Brittany Lucic then told police that her husband pulled her hair, but did not try to strangle her. She refused to receive medical treatment.
Lucic, who won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, was arrested on suspicion of assault on a relative, which could result in a prison sentence of two and a half years if convicted.
Lucic remained silent during his arraignment Tuesday morning. A third person submitted a not guilty plea on his behalf, and a preliminary hearing will be held on January 19. To obtain his release, Lucic had to agree to no longer bully his alleged victim and to no longer consume alcohol.
The judge also granted Lucic’s lawyer’s request so that he could participate in the next hearing by videoconference.
Lucic’s agent did not respond to an email seeking comment over the weekend, and he did not respond to a text message sent Monday either.
The six-foot, three-inch, 236-pound Vancouverite hasn’t played since Oct. 21 due to injury. He has two assists in four games this season with the Bruins.
The Massachusetts team indicated on Saturday that Lucic would be away from the team for an indefinite period. Head coach Jim Montgomery and captain Brad Marchand said they would offer support to Lucic’s loved ones, but stopped short of addressing the forward’s arrest.
After joining the NHL in 2007 at the age of 19, Lucic played his first eight career campaigns with the Bruins. He notably scored 30 goals, a career high, during the 2010-2011 season, which was crowned by the conquest of the Stanley Cup by the Bruins.
He played the next eight seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before accepting a one-year contract offer from the Bruins as a free agent last summer.