Drew Miller (born February 17, 1984) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
winger. He played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) with the
Anaheim Ducks,
Tampa Bay Lightning and
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
.
Miller was drafted in the sixth round, 186th overall, in the
2003 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut on April 19, 2007, playing with the
Anaheim Ducks against the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
. He is the younger brother of former NHL goaltender
Ryan Miller.
Playing career
Junior
Born in
Dover, New Jersey and raised in
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediate ...
, Miller played junior hockey for the now-defunct Capital Centre Pride of the
North American Hockey League (NAHL) from 2001–2003, totaling 32 goals and 28 assists for 60 points in 102 games. Early in the 2002–03 season, he graduated to the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
(USHL).
At 17, Miller played 49 games for the River City Lancers (now known as the
Omaha Lancers) of the USHL in the 2002–03 season, posting 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points. He scored nine points in 11 playoff games to help lead the Lancers to the USHL Finals, where they lost three games to one to the
Lincoln Stars. Miller played with fellow NHLers
Matt Carle and
Paul Stastny and was named to the USHL All-Star team.
Miller spent the next three years playing for the
Michigan State Spartans of the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He scored his first collegiate goal on January 2, 2004, against the
Northern Michigan University Wildcats. The winger improved his point totals in each of his three seasons at Michigan State, scoring 10, 33 and 43 points in 41, 40 and 44 games, respectively. In his last season with the Spartans, Miller was named the team's MVP and the CCHA's Best Defensive Forward. He was also named to the Association's All-Tournament Team after helping Michigan State capture the CCHA title.
Miller was drafted by the then
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the sixth round of the
2003 NHL Entry Draft, 186th overall.
Professional
Anaheim Ducks
After leading the Spartans in both points and as captain in the
2005–06 season, Miller signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Ducks on May 4, 2006. He joined Anaheim's
AHL affiliate, the
Portland Pirates, during their second round series against the
Hartford Wolf Pack
The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the PeoplesBank Arena. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. ...
, playing in one game.
The next season, he suited up for 79 matches with the Pirates, scoring 16 goals and totaling 20 assists for 36 points to place third on the team.
In 2007, Miller once again moved up to a higher league after completing the regular season with another team. On April 16, Miller was recalled from Portland by Anaheim. Three days later, he made his Ducks and NHL debut at the
Honda Center, playing in what would be the final game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
.
Coach
Randy Carlyle placed the left winger on the Ducks' top line, alongside 2007 All-Stars
Andy McDonald and
Teemu Selänne, to fill in for the injured
Chris Kunitz. In Game One, Miller forced a turnover that Selanne and McDonald capitalized on for the Ducks' first goal of the series. He would also play in the Stanley Cup Finals and would go on to win his first
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
after just three games in the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning
He would spend two more seasons in the Ducks organization before being traded to the
Tampa Bay Lightning in the summer of 2009 for Russian winger
Evgeny Artyukhin. Miller went scoreless in 14 games with the Lightning that season.
Detroit Red Wings
On November 10, 2009, Miller was put on waivers by the Lightning and was subsequently claimed by the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. He made his Red Wings debut on November 12 against the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
, recording 11:33 minutes of ice time. He scored his first goal in a Detroit uniform on November 23 against the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
. Originally brought into Detroit to replace injured players on a temporary basis, he effectively outplayed other young members of the Red Wings. He has since filled in comfortably playing a variety of roles. He finished the
2009–10 season with 10 goals, and 9 assists (zero points with the Lightning) in 80 games split between the Lightning and Red Wings.
During the summer of 2010 the Red Wings re-signed Miller to a one-year $650,000 contract. During the
2010–11 season Miller played 68 games, scoring 10 goals, and eight assists. He played the role of a grinder, spending time primarily on the third and fourth lines, while also contributing on the penalty kill. Most games Miller would play on a line with
Justin Abdelkader,
Darren Helm,
Patrick Eaves and/or veteran
Kris Draper. This would alter game to game depending on injuries, and or the matchups coach
Mike Babcock saw fit in that particular game.
Following his season, the Red Wings rewarded Miller's efforts by re-signing him to a two-year contract worth $1.675 million on July 1. Each year has an annual cap hit of $837,500.
On February 19, 2012, Miller scored his career high 12th goal of the regular season against the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
in a 3–2 Red Wings victory.
During the
2012 NHL lockout, Miller signed with the British
Elite Ice Hockey League club
Braehead Clan.
On June 29, 2013, Miller signed a three-year, $4.05 million contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings.
On March 31, 2015, Miller suffered two lacerations, one on his right cheek, and one above his right eye, after the skate of
Mark Stone of the
Ottawa Senators struck him in the face. The four-inch long cut required 60 stitches to close the lacerations. He did not sustain damage to his eye or his vision.
Miller finished the
2014–15 season with five goals and eights assists in 82 games. He led all NHL forwards and established a career high in blocked shots during the regular season with 99. This is the highest single-season total in blocked shots by a forward in the past seven seasons. He has led all Red Wings forwards in blocked shots for five straight seasons.
On December 3, 2015, Miller suffered a broken jaw in a game against the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
. He returned on January 7, 2016, after missing 14 games, however, the comeback lasted less than two games as Miller was hurt in the third period against the
Anaheim Ducks on January 10, by a hit by
Shea Theodore. It was announced that Miller had to have left
ACL reconstruction in addition to
meniscus repair and would be out for 4 to 6 months. During the
2015–16 season, Miller recorded one goal and one assist in 28 games. On June 27, 2016, the Red Wings signed Miller to a one-year contract extension. The Red Wings chose not to re-sign Miller following the conclusion of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent after 8 years with the organization.
On September 11, 2017, as a free agent over the summer, the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
signed Miller to a professional tryout. On September 21, 2017, Miller was released from the Blackhawks roster following training camp. Midway into the
2017–18 season, Miller signed for the remainder of the campaign with Swedish outfit, Brynäs IF of the SHL, on November 20, 2017.
Personal life
Miller comes from a long line of hockey players, as he is the tenth member of his family to play the sport for
Michigan State. His best-known relative is older brother and former NHL
goaltender Ryan Miller. He is also the cousin of former NHL players
Kip,
Kevin and
Kelly Miller.
Miller has always been involved with the communities in which he plays, taking part in programs such as Teams for Toys,
DARE and the
Special Olympics. He even created the Spartan Buddy Program, which enabled MSU athletes to make regular visits to local pediatric hospital patients.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
win 2007: By playing in the Cup final, Miller automatically qualified to have his name engraved on the Cup, and was included in the Stanley Cup picture.
References
External links
*
Drew Miller on Hockey's Future
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Drew
1984 births
American expatriate ice hockey players in Scotland
American men's ice hockey left wingers
Anaheim Ducks draft picks
Anaheim Ducks players
Braehead Clan players
Brynäs IF players
Detroit Red Wings players
Grand Rapids Griffins players
Ice hockey players from New Jersey
Iowa Stars players
Living people
Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey players
Sportspeople from Dover, New Jersey
Portland Pirates players
River City Lancers players
Stanley Cup champions
Tampa Bay Lightning players
Ice hockey players from Michigan
American expatriate ice hockey players in Sweden
21st-century American sportsmen