Ryan Miller Ducks
Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American-born professional ice hockey player from East Lansing, Michigan; the Buffalo Sabres drafted Miller,138th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He has played on four NHL teams, the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Anaheim Ducks. In 2010 as a member of the Sabres, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. On February 17, 2019, he became the NHL’s winningest American-born goaltender surpassing Michigan-born John Vanbiesbrouck and former New York Rangers (1981) Florida Panthers (1993 expansion draft pick) for first on the all-time list.
On four occasions, Miller has appeared on the international stage, 2002, 2003, 2010, and 2014, winning the silver medal in 2010 at the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was named the most valuable player at the tournament.
On April 29, 2021 Miller announced that he would be retiring from professional hockey at the conclusion of the 2021 NHL season.
Buffalo Sabres
Miller made his NHL debut during the 2002-03 season, playing 15 games for the big club after plying his trade for three years with Sabres farm team, the Rochester Americans.
Miller would take over the starting role in goal for the Sabres after the 2005-06 season, where he posted a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage backstopping his team to the Conference finals that year. The following year Miller and company started the season with 10 consecutive wins, tying the record for most consecutive wins to start a season set by the Toronto Maple Leafs at 10 in 1993-94. He would later be named to the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star Game. He would post another impressive season, playing in 63 games and registering a 2.72 GAA and a .911 save percentage. The Sabres would make it to the Conference final for a second consecutive season, bowing out in five games to the Ottawa Senators.
On January 1, 2008, Miller and the Sabres played in the first NHL outdoor game in the United States, the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic. The game was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills; the Sabres lost the game 2-1 in a shoot-out. Later that year, on March 28, Miller broke the franchise record for most games played in a season with 73, surpassing former Buffalo Sabres netminders Dominik Hasek, Grant Fuhr, and Martin Biron; Miller finished the season having played in 76 games.
On June 23, 2010, at the 2010 NHL Award Ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada, Miller won the Vezina Trophy beating out rival goaltenders Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) and Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes). He also captured the NHL Foundation Player Award, becoming the first American-born player to do so.
On February 4, 2012, he became the franchise leader in career wins with 235 in a 4-3 shoot-out win over the New York Islanders, overtaking Dominik Hasek. What makes this achievement so remarkable is that it took him only six-and-a-half years to do it compared to 9 years that it took for Hasek to turn the trick.
St. Louis Blues
On February 28, 2014, Miller and centreman Steve Ott were traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, and two future draft picks. Miller’s stay in St. Louis was short-lived, he would play in only19 games. His contract was not renewed as the Blues opted to go with the netminding tandem of Brian Elliot and Jake Allen.
Vancouver Canucks
On July 1, 2014, Miller signed a three-year deal with Vancouver Canucks for $18 million to play as the number one goaltender. On October 28, 2014, Miller became the 30th goalie in NHL history to win 300 games as he and the Canucks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. He only had one playoff appearance in Vancouver, playing in three contests during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, with a 2.31 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
Anaheim Ducks
After fulfilling his three-year contract in Vancouver, Miller became a free agent and signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks on July 1, 2017. In his debut with Anaheim, he was victorious, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shoot-out on October 29, 2017.
After his initial two-year contract expired with Anaheim, Miller signed a one-year contract on June 20, 2019; he again extended his tenure with Anaheim when he agreed to another one-year contract which he resigned on December 23, 2020.
On April 29, 2021, Miller announced that he would retire from the NHL following the 2020-21 regular season. Miller’s last game played in the NHL was on May 8, 2021, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Career statistics Ryan Miller Duck
Regular season and playoffs
Awards
| NHL | ||
|---|---|---|
| All-Star Game | 2007 | |
| Foundation Player Award | 2010 | |
| Vezina Trophy | 2010 | |
| First All-Star Team | 2010 |
Keep You’re Stick on the Ice.
