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Lucic clarifies anti-Vancouver remarks, says he’s ‘proud to be from there’

Buffalo Sabres v Boston Bruins - Game Six

of the Buffalo Sabres of the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 26, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Sabres 4-3 to win the series.

Elsa

In the wake of poutine-gate (trademarked it, sorry), Milan Lucic’s had some time to think -- and he’s decided to re-embrace the city of Vancouver.

Here’s his official statement, from the Bruins’ website:

This has been a very difficult week for me given the recent events that took place in my hometown of Vancouver. As I have had more time to think I want to make it clear that regardless of what has happened, I am still -- and always will be -- proud to be from there.

It is home.

While the actions of a few individuals have deeply upset me and will impact the time I spend downtown going forward, I will not let those incidents diminish the love and pride I have for the city as a whole. This will be my final comment on this subject.

Lucic denounced Vancouver this week after video footage surfaced of him in an verbal and physical altercation outside of a restaurant -- Mean Poutine, which features a dish named after Lucic -- following Boston’s 6-2 loss to the Canucks on Saturday. Lucic claimed he was the “victim of an attack” and suggested he would be exploring his legal options.

“I have no reason left to defend my city and the people in my city,” Lucic said, as per the Vancouver Sun. “I’m disgusted and outraged that it had to come to something like that.

“So, as far as that goes, other than being at Rogers Arena, no one will ever see me in downtown Vancouver ever again … I’ve been downtown Vancouver 50, 60 times and I’ve never even come close to an altercation. But this one obviously ended in one.”

This wasn’t the first time Lucic had issues with Vancouver. In February 2012, his hometown church was vandalized with “Go Canucks” tags and, during the ’11 Cup Final, there were reports of people harassing his grandparents in Rogers Arena.

“That’s one of the worst parts. It’s in my hometown,” Lucic told the Sun. “Going back to the spray painting of the church and my grandparents and parents and family getting harassed during the final against the Canucks in 2011, it’s escalated to a point where I get attacked for just minding my own business.”