Drew Miller
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Position | Left Wing |
Shoots | Left |
Height Weight |
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 174 lb (79 kg/12 st 6 lb) |
NHL Team | Anaheim Ducks |
Nationality | United States |
Born | February 17, 1984 , Dover, NJ |
NHL Draft | 186th overall, 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
Pro career | 2007 – present |
Andrew "Drew" Miller (born February 17, 1984 in Dover, New Jersey, U.S.) is a professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Miller made his NHL debut on April 19, 2007, against the Minnesota Wild. Spectacularly, his second NHL appearance, on May 28, 2007, turned out to be Game 1 of the Ducks' Stanley Cup Final series against the Ottawa Senators.
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[edit] Early career
Miller played junior hockey for the now-defunct Capital Centre Pride of the North American Hockey League from 2001–03, totalling 32+28=60 points in 102 games. Early in the 2002–03 season, he graduated to the United States Hockey League.
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+11=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 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.
[edit] Minor Pros
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, playing in one game.
The next season, he suited up for 79 matches with the Pirates, scoring 16+20=36 points to place third on the team.
[edit] NHL career
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 Minnesota.
Coach Randy Carlyle had 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 1, Miller forced a turnover that Selanne and McDonald capitalized on for the Ducks' first goal of the series, and would go on to win his first Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in just his first 4 games in the NHL.
[edit] Personal
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 Buffalo Sabres goalie, Ryan Miller. He is also the cousin of former Mighty Duck Kip Miller, as well as former NHLers 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.
[edit] Career Statistics
Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2000–01 | Capital Centre | NAHL | 37 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 22 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2001–02 | Capital Centre | NAHL | 54 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 56 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2002–03 | Capital Centre | NAHL | 11 | 10 | 9 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2002–03 | River City Lancers | USHL | 49 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | ||
2003–04 | Michigan State | CCHA | 41 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 39 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2004–05 | Michigan State | CCHA | 40 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2005–06 | Michigan State | CCHA | 44 | 18 | 25 | 43 | 30 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2005–06 | Portland Pirates | AHL | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2006–07 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 79 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 51 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2006–07 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
CCHA Totals | 125 | 39 | 47 | 86 | 89 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
AHL Totals | 79 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
NHL Totals | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |