Ryan Miller

Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres.

His cousin Kip Miller won the Hobey Baker Award in 1990.

Miller was a close friend of Buffalo Bills fullback and fellow MSU alumnus Jehuu Caulcrick.

Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

As a college player for the Michigan State University Spartans, Miller set a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record with 26 career shutouts and was the winner of the Hobey Baker Award in 2001, when he led the country in wins, winning percentage, save percentage (an NCAA record .950 mark), goals against average (GAA) and shutouts (an NCAA record 10).

Miller played outdoors in the Cold War – a game between Michigan and Michigan State held in 2001.

Miller was selected as the 2001 Big Ten-Jesse Owens Men's Athlete of the Year.

Miller was the CCHA's Goaltender of the Year all three of his seasons in East Lansing, and was the league's overall MVP twice.

Ten members of Miller's family, including his grandfather, father, uncle, five cousins (including Kelly, Kevin and Kip Miller), and his younger brother Drew, have played college hockey for the Spartans.

After three seasons with Michigan State, Miller moved to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played for the Buffalo Sabres' affiliate, the Rochester Americans, from the 2002–03 season until the 2004–05 season.

During the 2002–03 season, he played 15 regular season games for Buffalo.

In the 2004–05 season, with the NHL not playing due to a lockout, he won 41 games for the Americans, tying Gerry Cheevers' record.

He finished the season with a 2.45 GAA.

In 2004–05, the Americans were the North Division and Regular Season champions in the AHL.

They lost in the division finals, however, to the Manitoba Moose.

Miller finished the 2005–06 season by establishing himself as the starting goaltender for the Sabres.

After the 2005–06 season, Miller became a restricted free agent and waived his right to arbitration.

Mike Liut, Miller's agent, continued to negotiate with the Sabres through the summer.

On September 8, 2006, the Sabres announced that they had re-signed Miller to a three-year contract.

The 2006–07 season would prove a successful one.

In his first season starting with the number one job, Miller and his team won the first 10 games in a row.

Miller was voted the starting goaltender for the Eastern Conference of the 2007 NHL All-Star Game.

In a 12–9 loss, Miller played the first period and allowed three goals.

In 2010, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.

He was selected to play for the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as the team's starting goaltender.

He won a silver medal with the team and was named most valuable player of the tournament.

He ranked 11th among NHL goaltenders with a 2.60 GAA and ninth in a save percentage, with .914.

Miller led the Sabres to a surprise season, winning 30 games and advancing to the conference finals.

Four years later, he was selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Miller is one of 39 goaltenders in NHL history to win 300 games in his career.

Miller is known for his hybrid style of goaltending.

He is the older brother of former NHL forward Drew Miller.

Miller grew up in East Lansing, Michigan.

He started playing youth hockey in California.

In youth hockey, Miller originally played as a forward, however, Miller became frustrated with the poor play of his team's goaltender, so he begged his coach as well as his father, Dean Miller, to let him try it out.

His father told him that if he could get two goals and three assists the next game he would buy Ryan a catching glove.

Miller finished the game with two goals and three assists in the win.

His brother Drew and cousins Kelly, Kevin and Kip all played in the NHL.

All five attended Michigan State University, where Ryan Miller played goaltender for three years.

In February 2019, Miller became the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history, surpassing John Vanbiesbrouck.