Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Thursday is "Ryan Miller Night" in Buffalo. Before the game against the New York Islanders, Miller will have his No. 30 retired to the rafter, and will be inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame.
Miller was with the Sabres for 12 seasons, but more importantly, he became a Western New Yorker.
The Sabres' all-time wins leader in goal will join Seymour and Norty Knox, Gil Perreault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert, Dominik Hasek, Danny Gare, Rick Jeanneret, Pat LaFontaine and Tim Horton in the rafters.
Alex Tuch grew up in Syracuse cheering for Miller and those Sabres teams. He is beyond excited about Thursday night.
“Ryan Miller was the goalie that I got to grow up watching play. I wasn’t a goalie growing up, but I definitely idolized him, loved watching him play," said Tuch following Thursday's morning skate. "Once I got into town, I started to hear about how much he meant to the community, and his time with Roswell Park, and just what a good person he was. So it made it more special that I got to watch him growing up.”
Craig Anderson grew up in Illinois, while Miller grew up in Michigan. Anderson says they were a year apart, so they knew each other. Miller played 796 NHL games, while Anderson has played 699.
Anderson played against Miller plenty in the NHL, and says there’s a trait he thinks of when it comes to Miller.
“Consistency," said Anderson on Thursday. "He was a staple of the league for a long time, and he gave his team a chance to win on any given night.”
Some of the players coming back to be part of Thursday night's festivities are Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Pat Kaleta, Patrick Lalime, J.P. Dumont and Derek Roy.
This is going to be a long ceremony, so the Sabres say doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and they want fans in their seats by 5:50 p.m. EST.
Puck drop is slated for 7:38 p.m. EST.
Join Brian Koziol at 5:50 p.m. EST, as he takes you through the ceremony and then pregame coverage on WGR.
