Methodical Miller master of his craft
Veteran goalie a Zen-like beacon of patience in otherwise frustrating Canucks season
It’s not a long-term service award or comeback-player-of-the-year acknowledgment. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is annually bestowed upon an NHL player who best exemplifies the criteria of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
Nominations are determined by the body of work and commitment during the regular season, but it’s a lifelong devotion to the game and relentless drive to improve — even at age 36 — that has led to goaltender Ryan Miller being named the Canucks nominee for the Masterton by the Vancouver chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The perseverance comes from facing 40 or more shots on nine occasions — including four times in March — behind an offensively challenged club in transition. The sportsmanship comes from resisting the urge to deliver blocker jabs to crease-crashing forwards and responding to tough post-game queries in a patient and professorial manner.
And the dedication comes from Zen-like preparation and being a champion of goalie-equipment issues. But being a student of the game came early from wide-eyed wonderment.
“My dad was always a fan,” said Miller. “To the point where we had this huge satellite dish, one of the ones you could get back in the day and get anything. He got it just because he wanted to see hockey games and we were living in areas that didn’t have them. We lived in Cali (California) for a bit and there wasn’t a lot of hockey, especially at that time.
“There wasn’t any real way to see it other than getting this satellite dish and strapping it on top of the house and having neighbours worried. But that was it. He’d sit us down and we watched a ton of hockey.
“We went to (Michigan State) Spartan games when I was young and I sat right behind the bench. That was the big leagues to me. A lot of it has to do with family and encouragement that this is a fun game and if you learn how to do it right, you can have a lot of fun with it.”
It would be a stretch to suggest that this has been a fun season for Miller. His 2.77 goals-against average is the highest since 2012-13 in Buffalo (2.81), but a .915 save percentage is credible in what has been a shooting gallery.
There was also early season body tightness issues for Miller. There was being outplayed by Jacob Markstrom and then being the go-to guy when the calendar flipped to 2017.
Miller made 17 starts compared to six for Markstrom before the latter suffered a knee injury in the SuperSkills show on Feb. 26 and then got ill. Miller carried the load. He kept the Canucks in the playoff conversation until early March when they climbed to within five points of a Western Conference playoff position.
What sets Miller apart is a battle level. In a sorry season that has included a nine-game losing streak and a six-game winning streak, during which Miller backstopped five of those victories, he also reached the 350-career win plateau on Jan. 2. He joined John Vanbiesbrouck (374) and Tom Barrasso (369) as the only U.S.-born goalies to reach that mark.
It sparked something in Miller and the Canucks as they tried to beat long playoff odds.
“Early on, I was just trying to be positional and survive the NHL with good hands and playing the right kind of hockey,” recalled Miller. “But as the league changed and adapted, I tried to continue to tweak things. Even the way I read the game. It has changed in the way teams attack and defensive schemes.
“It’s about being passionate enough to pay attention and work at it.”
Miller believes he could play until age 40 and bringing the pending unrestricted free agent back for another season to work with and mentor Markstrom in a competitive environment would allow Thatcher Demko another season of development time with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets.
In what will be another tough year of transition for the Canucks, they know Miller would provide the foundation to steady the rebuild. And Miller is open to the concept.
Goalies will tell you mental toughness is as vital as proper tracking and positioning. It’s not always about younger being better. When the Panthers’ Roberto Luongo suffered a lower-body injury March 2, Miller became the oldest stopper in the league, but his ability to read plays and adapt to an ever-changing game made his birth certificate a moot point.
“I’ve played a long time,” Miller said of his 704 career regular-season games. “A lot of my buddies hung up their skates right around college or just after. They are still finding ways to stay in the game, coaching and doing some of the beer-league stuff.
“But that’s what this game means. You want to stay a part of it. It’s hasn’t been lost on me. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve tried to be grateful for every game I get.
“It’s really not a cliché. I really feel that way. When you get to a higher level, you don’t know how long you’ll stick around. I had a chance to be a part of some great teams early on and it kind of holsters your career. It gives you a little leeway year to year to play good hockey and have fun.”