Milan Lucic pens a heart wrenching note on 10th anniversary of his father's death by suicide - "I know now that your pain was overwhelming"

Former NHLer Milan Lucic’s father Dobro Lucic died by suicide in April 2015 in Vancouver. On Tuesday, Lucic penned an emotional note on Instagram reflecting on the 10th anniversary of his father’s death.

He also shared a picture of his father holding the Stanley Cup. Another picture showed Lucic standing by his father's headstone, as he wore a 'Check on Your Teammates' hoodie.

In his post, the former Bruin shared how the pain of that loss still lingers and how much sorrow he has carried over the years.

“Ten years have passed, and still, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. Losing you changed everything. The pain of your absence has become a quiet part of my every day—a shadow that follows, a silence that echoes,” he wrote.

“I wish I could have reached you in that moment, told you how deeply you were loved, how needed you were, how your life mattered so much. I’ve wrestled with guilt, anger, confusion, but most of all, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed the advice you’d give, the way you’d laugh, the way you made everything feel okay.”

Lucic said he chooses to honor his dad not only by remembering the way he died but by celebrating the way he lived.

“But over time, I’ve also come to understand. I know now that your pain was overwhelming, that you didn’t want to leave us—you just wanted the suffering to end. I carry that understanding with compassion and forgiveness,” Lucic wrote.

“I honor you not just by remembering how you died, but by how you lived. You were kind, strong, funny, and deeply human. I see you in my reflection, in moments of strength, in the way I love others.”

He ended his message with a reminder that his father’s story continues through him, and that he wanted to share it openly so others know they’re not alone. Lucic included hashtags to promote mental health awareness and encouraged people to check in on their loved ones.

---

Milan Lucic’s family had initially chosen not his disclose the details of his father’s death

Milan Lucic's father died two months before the winger was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Los Angeles Kings. At the time, the Lucic family chose to keep the details of the death private as they processed the loss.

Later, in an interview with Hockey Night in Canada, Lucic confirmed that his father had died by suicide.

“Because it was a suicide, it was definitely hard on me,” Lucic said. “Not having my dad there to call or have him call me is definitely something that I'm still getting used to, but at the back of my mind, I know what he would say to me in certain situations and try to use it to keep making him proud.” [Fox Sports]

Lucic also admitted that it was the hardest summer of his life.