Ryan Miller

When Ryan Miller first put on a Buffalo Sabres jersey, his resume already included an NCAA record 26 career shutouts, a Hobey Baker Award (2001) as the best player in college hockey, and the 2001 Big Ten-Jesse Owens Men’s Athlete of the Year. Miller earned the CCHA’s Goaltender of the Year award in all three of his seasons at Michigan State, and he won the league’s overall MVP twice.

Miller split his first three professional seasons between Buffalo and Rochester, and by 2005-06 it was “Miller-Time”, as he had established himself as the top netminder for the Sabres.

In his eleven seasons in the crease for Buffalo, Miller racked up 284 wins – the most in Sabres history. He was the starting goalie for the Eastern Conference in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, and in 2007-08, the Michigan native, set the team record for games played by a goalie, appearing in 76 of Buffalo’s 82 games. In 2010 he captured the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie, as well as becoming the first American player to win the NHL’s Foundation Player Award. When he finished his career with the Sabres, Miller was not only the club’s leader in career wins he was also second in career shutouts with 28.

Miller was traded by the Sabres to the St. Louis Blues in 2014 and then continued his career with the Vancouver Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks before retiring at the end of the 2020-21 season. At the end of his career, Miller had established himself as one of the most respected goaltenders to ever play in the NHL. Among U.S. born goaltenders, he has the record for career wins (391) and is second in games played (796) and shutouts (44).

Miller also represented the United States in the Winter Olympics in 2010 and again in 2014. In 2010 he backstopped the Red, White and Blue to a silver medal, and earned the MVP of the tournament. He holds the Olympic record for goals against average (1.30).