VICE Sports Q&A: NHL Tough Guy Milan Lucic

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

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After eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, Milan Lucic was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings last June. The 27-year-old, who was selected in the second round of the 2006 draft by the Bruins, had spent his entire career in Boston, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011. After a slow start in the west coast, the rugged forward is finally starting to feel comfortable in his new surroundings.

We recently caught up with the Vancouver native to talk about his first season in the Western Conference, his impending free agency and the process of adapting to the game with less fighting. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

VICE Sports: Four months in, how is your first season going in Los Angeles?

Milan Lucic: It's been fun. Obviously the team is doing well so when the team does well, everything seems to feel better and go better and all that type of stuff. Definitely been refreshing coming to a place with high hopes and good players and where coaches and management expect a lot from you. It's been a lot of fun—definitely a change of scenery, change of pace, but at the end of the day I've really enjoyed the start of the season so far.

After eight years in Boston, you're living in Southern California, what's that adjustment been like?

We live down in the south bay, our practice facility is in El Segundo. It reminds me… it's kind of like I'm back playing for the Vancouver Giants [of the Western Hockey League] again with the setup that we have. We do everything at the practice rink and we're only at the game rink for games because there's so much going on at the Staples Center. It's really nice, especially in the south bay area—I think it's one of the hidden gems of L.A., and it's been an awesome place to live, an awesome place to be with the family. I know my wife and kids, they almost like it more than I do, which is pretty crazy. We're really enjoying it. Obviously the traffic sucks sometimes, but you can get over that really quick.

You went through the process of your first trade last June. Now that you've had nearly eight months to digest it, what was the whole experience like?

It was definitely different. When the season ended, I was definitely expecting anything to happen. It was one of those things where, especially nowadays, it's not just a phone call. You hear all the social media talking and all the buzz. I remember waking up that morning and my buddy sent me a tweet from Elliotte Friedman that the Kings and Bruins were in discussion. I remember being pretty excited when I did read that text, but at the same time, you're kinda nervous too because change is a scary thing and I'm sure I can relate to a lot of people that change is something that a lot of people are uncomfortable with. That was a little bit of the feeling, too.

You're uncomfortable with the change a little bit of what it's going to be like. You come to a team where, when they were talking about the discussions of it happening, just looking at the roster, there hasn't been a guy that I played with before I got to the Kings. I played a little bit in the Canada-Russia series team with Drew Doughty and I was roommates with Jeff Carter at the last Canadian Olympic camp, but not really significant amount of time with anyone on the team.

When you talk about going into a situation where it's a fresh start, I don't think it got any fresher than this, where going in, you don't know anyone. You don't know the coaches, you don't know the trainers—the only guy I knew part of the organization is player development coach, Glen Murray, who I played with in Boston for one year. It's one of those things that happens and one of those things that are part of the sport. Sometimes it's a good thing and sometimes it's a bad thing, and I think it has been a real good thing for me.

After eight seasons in the Eastern Conference, you're in the Western Conference now. What's the biggest difference you've noticed between the two?

I would say the rushes. There's definitely a lot more odd-man rushes in the East, I would say. It seems like there's that consistent four-man attack. You talk about Erik Karlsson and stuff like that—just d-men jumping in the play.

In the Western Conference, it's more of a heavy down, low-cycle game, and in the Eastern Conference it's more of a rush game.

For the first time in your career you changed your offseason workout program, moving up to Kelowna, British Columbia. What was the difference in your training?

Definitely a lot more quiet. A lot less going on than what I'm used to in the summer as far as being in Vancouver and having so many people around. [In] Kelowna you kind of isolate yourself and, to be honest, I don't know too many people up there. It was kind of nice to get away and it was more of a mental thing than anything. It was nice to be up there and to relax and kind of get refreshed and focused on a new upcoming season.

Obviously with change, you have to change your offseason program, as well. I'd been doing the same thing since I was 17 years old so it was the first time in 10 years that I did something different. I was actually working out at Wade Redden's house—he's got a very nice gym that he built in his house. Just working out there, [I'm] really thankful that he allowed me to do that and help me out with that, and just do whatever I could to get in the best shape that I can with the time off. First time not making the playoffs, so I wanted to make the most out of the time that I had.

You lost your dad, who committed suicide in the offseason. How difficult was it to go through that situation?

It's one of those things that personally… I'm trying to find the best way to talk about it. It's just one of those things that you try to get over as quick as possible because that happened, and then a month later I had a child. And then a month later I get traded, so there was definitely a lot going on.

Obviously he was a special person in my life. Helped me along the way. I'd say he was my biggest fan, as well, as far as my hockey career went. It's definitely been a change as well not having someone to talk to as far as when it comes to after a game or the day after or something like that. That's definitely been a change. But, you know what? It's a part of life. Unfortunate things happen and it happens to everyone. For myself, I just try to focus on my children and being the best father I can be for them and hopefully I can be as good of a dad to them as my dad was for me.

With fighting down and as an emotional guy who is known to fight, when you need to get emotionally engaged in a game, do you miss the aspect of the game where you could just drop the gloves with a guy?

Yeah, I'd say so. Definitely some nights when you want to get yourself going, there isn't as many partners, I guess, to go with as there used to be—especially when I first came into the league. You definitely do miss that part of the game and that aspect of the game because, truthfully, it's a big reason why I was given a chance. I was given a chance to play because I could fight and people believe because of my toughness, and ability to drop the gloves, I was given a second look and second chance and a chance to make it to the next level, so I do miss that part and I think it's unfortunate that it has gone away.

Obviously the game has gone away from having one guy like that on every team—it's become a four-line game and you have to use your whole lineup in order to be successful now. It's something that I miss and something that I definitely appreciated and was thankful to have because it gave me the opportunity and chance to get to this point in my career. I'm sure sooner or later it'll get to a point where there isn't much fighting at all.

Do you laugh at the notion of 'don't wake up the bear' with regards to players avoiding engaging with you on the ice?

Kinda, yes. I've heard that. It's one of those things that, when hearing that, I've actually taken more onus of getting myself ready before I step on the ice so that I'm not relying on someone on the other team to come after me and wake me up. I've been trying to do what I can to wake myself up before that happens.

I'm sure you've heard the rumors of Anze Kopitar signing long term in L.A. How much more does that have you thinking about your own situation as a pending unrestricted free agent?

That's definitely been a change, as well. I've always had a contract and I've always re-upped the summer before my contract was even done so I never had anything to worry about as far as that went. To be honest, I think I've done a pretty good job not thinking about it. Just focusing on the hockey part. I know if I just take care of that, everything will take care of itself. I really enjoy being in L.A., living in L.A. and being a King and being a part of the team and organization. Hopefully something can get done with the Kings. Nothing has really sparked up yet as far as negotiations go, but obviously with other things going on with the Kings, you kind of expected it to be the way that it's been. I've really enjoyed my time as an L.A. King and hopefully it's more than one year.

Being from Vancouver, how much have you thought of the possibility of signing with the Canucks should you go to free agency in the summer? You also have a connection with Canucks GM Jim Benning, having spent time together in the Bruins organization.

I thought about it in the summer a lot because there was rumors going around about me being traded there. To be honest, I haven't really thought about much other than just playing the game and having fun with the team that I'm on right now as far as that goes. But it's one of those things that if I got to free agency, that I definitely would listen to what they had to say and see what they had to offer.

Obviously as a Vancouver kid, your dream is always to play for the Canucks. It's one of those things that I would consider. But… I haven't been thinking about that at all, my focus has been on this team and being good on this team and hoping to stay in L.A. long term so that's kind of where my mind has been at.

Does free agency scare you now, considering how last summer went with so many veteran guys signing professional tryout contracts and going overseas?

Yeah, kinda. There's so much uncertainty and that's what makes it scary. A guy that I played with, Dan Paille, who is a really good hockey player, he should be in the NHL— no doubt in my mind that he should be in the NHL. And he has to settle for a two-way deal and has been in Rockford [of the AHL] all season long. That's one of the examples that I have that makes it scary.