Saturday marked the final game of the 2020-21 season for the Anaheim Ducks against the Wild in Minnesota. It also marked the final game of Ryan Miller's National Hockey League career, where he ended up losing 4-3 in overtime.
Now the veteran goaltender rides off into his days of retirement.
The 40-year-old netminder announced back on April 29 that he was retiring from the NHL after an illustrious 18-year career. In 796 career games, Miller was able to post a 391-289-88 record with a 2.63 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and 44 shutouts.
Miller will always be remembered in Buffalo for his days with the Sabres, where he established franchise records in games played (540) and wins (284) while wearing the blue and gold.
It'll be those moments like the back-to-back Eastern Conference Final runs in 2006 and 2007, the Presidents' Trophy season in 2006-07, his Vezina Trophy season in 2009-10 tied in with his heroic run at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and much more that will be fondly looked back upon. He always seemed to be a stable presence in net to keep Buffalo in the playoff race year-in and year-out.
It didn't always work out for Miller, of course.
The Sabres missed out on the postseason in four of the eight full seasons he spent in Buffalo. He did go down due to injury from time-to-time, including the infamous Scott Gomez incident during the 2008-09 season that, arguably, cost Buffalo a playoff spot.
There were also plenty of ups and downs in his play during his tenure in net. Who could forget people throwing the nickname "Mr. Softee" around when he'd have a bad game or give up a bad goal? Or how about all the times he'd be so close to a shutout win, only to give up a goal with less than two minutes to go in regulation. The "Ryan Miller shutout," as some like to coin those moments.
Despite all that, there is no doubt that Miller deserves the recognition that he's likely to get down the road in Buffalo.
Miller's a surefire Sabres Hall of Famer, if it ever gets back up and going again. Dominik Hasek was the last person to be named to the organization's Hall of Fame in 2014, but there are plenty of others in team history who deserve to get the call.
The No. 30 could, and probably should be hanging from the rafters with the likes of Hasek, Pat LaFontaine, "The French Connection" and others. No player has worn the No. 30 since Miller was traded back in February of 2014.
However, the accolades should not just be limited to him being honored as one of the all-time best Sabres players.
While he may not be a first-ballot vote, or even a second-ballot or third-ballot vote, Miller eventually deserves the recognition as a Hockey Hall of Famer. Recognition as one of the greatest goaltenders to ever grace the game of hockey.
Here's where Miller stands with some of his career stats in the NHL with the Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Ducks:
- 18th all-time for games played (796)
- 14th all-time for wins (391)
- First all-time for wins among U.S.-born goaltenders
- 12th all-time in saves (21,665)
- Tied for 29th all-time in save percentage (.914)
- Tied for 36th all-time in shutouts (44)
- 18th all-time in time on ice (46,145:35)
- Third all-time in shootout games played (101)
- Second all-time in shootout wins (60)
- 10th all-time in shootout save percentage (.709) in at least 50 appearances
While some of these stats stand out more than others in NHL history, his career achievements extend well beyond his days in the NHL.
Before he was drafted by the Sabres 138th overall in the 1999 NHL Draft, Miller was a standout in the North American Hockey League, posting a 31-15-0 record with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage with the Soo Indians. That would be good enough to earn Miller the honor of the league's Most Valuable Player that season.
After being drafted by the Sabres, Miller would attend Michigan State University for three seasons, where he combined to for an incredible 73-19-12 record in 106 games played with a 1.54 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and 26 shutouts.
During his sophomore season, Miller became just the second goaltender ever to win the Hobey Baker Award as the best player of college hockey. That year saw Miller post an eye-popping 31-5-4 record with a 1.32 goals-against average, a .950 save percentage and 10 shutouts. Other finalists he beat out for the Hobey Baker in the 2000-01 season: Brian Gionta, Dany Heatley and Jordan Leopold.
The next season saw Miller finish as a finalist for the Hobey Baker once again. However, he'd fall just short of winning his second-straight college MVP honor, despite a 26-9-5 record with a 1.77 goals-against average, a .936 save percentage and eight shutouts.
After his junior season with the Spartans, Miller left school and signed his NHL entry-level contract with the Sabres.
Miller didn't have to wait too long to make his NHL debut, as it came in his first season of professional hockey on Nov. 19, 2002. The game ended in a 4-3 overtime loss for Miller to the New Jersey Devils in the Meadowlands. It would be his next start on Nov. 22, 2002 where Miller earned his first win, a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at, then, HSBC Arena.
When the NHL was in its season-long lockout during the 2004-05 season, Miller shined in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans. He would post a 41-17-4 record in 63 games with Rochester, registering a 2.45 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and eight shutouts. His 41 wins was the tops in the AHL, while the Amerks went on to finish first in the North Division.
With the season he posted in Rochester, Miller was honored as an AHL First-Team All-Star, and also named the winner of the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the Best Goaltender of the AHL.
Miller finally earned a full-time spot in the NHL during the 2005-06 season, and eventually won the starting job over Martin Biron. In the 48 regular season games he played that season, he posted a 30-14-3 record with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
In 18 playoff games in 2006, Miller was outstanding with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, as he helped lead Buffalo to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes However, the Sabres came one game short of a third Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history, losing in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.
The following season saw Miller put up a 40-16-6 record in the regular season with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage as the Sabres went on to win the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top team in the regular season.
Although Miller was spectacular, once again, in the postseason with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage, the Sabres fell short in the Eastern Conference Final once again, this time at the hands of the Ottawa Senators in five games.
Then came, arguably, Miller's finest season in the NHL during the 2009-10 campaign when he posted a 41-18-8 record in 69 games played. That season also saw Miller put up a career-best 2.22 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
Miller's superb play helped lead the Sabres back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 run, but Buffalo saw an early exit in the opening round to the Boston Bruins in six games.
During the 2009-10 season, we witnessed Miller put up one of the best performances ever seen from a goaltender in international competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Miller was the staple in net for the United States, playing in six games and posting a 1.35 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, helping the Americans reach the gold medal game against Canada. His only blemish in the tournament came in overtime of the final game, when Sidney Crosby beat him through the five-hole on an attempted poke check at the 7:40 mark.
Despite settling for the silver medal in Vancouver, Miller still came away with one of the top honors of the tournament, being named the best goaltender of the tournament by the Directorate, and also the tournament's most valuable player.
Following the 2009-10 season, Miller came away with some more hardware from the NHL, earning the Vezina Trophy as the league's Goaltender of the Year. He also finished the season fourth in voting for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.
With the Vezina Trophy win in 2010, Miller became one of the most decorated goaltenders in hockey as the first and only goaltender to be named the top goaltender at the collegiate level, AHL level, NHL level, and at the Olympics. Not to mention, he was the MVP at the junior level in the NAHL.
Miller then spent parts of the next four seasons with the Sabres, helping Buffalo to one more playoff appearance in 2011. The Sabres nearly came close to their first series win since the 2007 playoffs, but Buffalo would fall in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round.
Miller also made the U.S. Olympic team once again in 2014 with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, but he mainly served as a backup to Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick.
As the Sabres started to take a different direction with the long-term future of the organization, the writing was on the wall for Miller's future, as he also entered the final season of his contract during the 2013-14 campaign. The team started its grueling rebuild, and the longtime Sabres goalie was one of the veterans who was shipped out in memorable fashion.
On Feb. 28. 2014, the Sabres traded Miller and captain Steve Ott to the Blues just moments before a Friday night home matchup with the San Jose Sharks. As Miller gave his heartfelt goodbye, you could immediately feel the tone of things completely flip in Buffalo with the changing of the guard.
The Blues immediately got, what they thought was, their missing piece for a potential Stanley Cup run. However, Miller's tenure in St. Louis was short-lived, playing in just 18 regular season games and six playoff games, as the Blues were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round of the playoffs.
As he entered free agency for the first time in 2014, Miller signed a three-year deal with the Canucks to be their starting goaltender. However, the team only made the playoffs once in his three years, and his tenure ended up being nothing to really hit home about with a 64-68-16 record in 150 games.
Miller's career wrapped up with a four-year tenure with the Ducks, where he mainly served as a backup to fellow U.S.-born goalie, John Gibson. In his four seasons and in 86 games, Miller put up a 33-27-14 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
While the numbers over time started to decline for Miller, he still managed to perform admirably, while being able to maintain his status in the NHL into his 40s.
Miller was a standout player in his career on the ice, but he was an even bigger presence off the ice with his involvement in the local community. He was especially committed to Western New York through his Steadfast Foundation, as well as his support of the Courage of Carly Fund at Roswell Park. Along with his Vezina Trophy win following the 2009-10 season, Miller earned recognition as the recipient of the NHL Foundation Player Award.
The only thing missing from Miller's resume throughout his NHL career is that ever elusive Stanley Cup victory. Unfortunately for Miller, he never even got the chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final in 18 seasons.
As of 2021, there are 39 goaltenders inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. There will be plenty of people that will say Miller does not stack up to some of the group of players already in the Hall of Fame.
On the flip side, there can be arguments made in favor of Miller to other goaltenders who will likely get their names called to Toronto in the near future.
During his prime, Miller was, arguably, just as good of a goaltender as the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick, who all have the potential to be heading to the Hall of Fame. While the career numbers will not exactly line up in the end, Miller was easily one of the best goalies in the NHL during his years with the Sabres.
Between the 2005-06 season and 2013-14 season, Miller best compares to Fleury's stats during the regular season, posting a 2.58 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in 541 games played. Fleury was able to post a 2.58 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage 510 games played.
Where Fleury has a leg up on Miller during this stretch is he consistently played for a playoff caliber team that made deep runs year-in and year-out. He also made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2008 and 2009, where he won a title with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.
As for the group in Buffalo, they often found themselves fighting for playoff positioning later in the season, where they'd either just make the postseason or just miss out. However, Miller was the one consistent factor for each Sabres season, as he kept his team afloat in the standings.
It may become a waiting game like it was for former Sabres forward Dave Andreychuk, or it is for former Sabres forward Alexander Mogilny right now. However, there should be a spot reserved for Miller in Toronto sometime down the road at the Hall of Fame.
But it'll always be "Miller Time" in Buffalo.
