Brothers minding nets for North Kawartha Knights
First time Luke and Noah Miller have played together
When Brian and Esther Miller drive to Apsley to watch the North Kawartha Knights play they know the odds are 100 per cent their son will be playing in goal.
They’re just not always sure which one.
Brothers Luke and Noah
Miller make up the goaltending tandem for the PJHL junior C hockey team.
It’s the first time the brothers, who were born 18 months apart, have ever played together. Luke, 19, and Noah, 17, grew up in the Peterborough minor hockey system playing in both AA and AAA systems.
It’s not known if they’re the first siblings to share the net in junior hockey but it’s certainly not common.
“You hear of Henrik and Daniel Sedin, brothers playing on the same line,” Noah said.
“It was pretty cool we got to be the only goalies on the team.”
“It was a bit of a relief because I know Noah and what he’s like,” Luke said.
“You don’t have to go through the process of learning a new goalie and all their habits or seeing if I like or dislike my goalie partner.
“I know everything about him so it makes life a little easier.”
“We’re counting this as a special experience and somewhat unique,” Brian said.
“I don’t think this has happened a whole lot in history. I’m sure it’s not totally unique but it’s a lot less common than common, for sure.”
The boys are the youngest of four siblings who were all active in sports growing up. It meant hectic schedules for mom and dad especially with Brian’s busy winters as head trainer of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.
“It really simplifies the schedule,” Brian said.
“The two of them are going to the exact same place for all games and practices at the same time. It’s kind of neat to go to games and one of the two is starting and the other is backing up. We know every game one of the boys is starting.”
This is Luke’s third year in the league and second with North Kawartha. He played his rookie season with the Lakefield Chiefs.
This is Noah’s first year in the league although as goalie for the Lakefield Juveniles last year he dressed one game as the Chiefs’ back-up as an affiliated player.
He attended tryouts for both the Chiefs and Knights this season but North Kawartha offered him a spot first and it was too appealing an opportunity to turn down.
They never got too stressed about competing in training camp for the same position.
“I didn’t think I was competing against him,” said Noah, a Grade 12 student at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.
“I used him as a bit of a standard to see if I could beat him but I always had the mindset that there was one spot the rest of us were competing for and he was coming back.”
“I treated him like any other goalie,” said Luke, a Durham College welding student currently apprenticing at Lakefield’s R&J Machinery.
“He didn’t get any special perks because he’s my brother. I did see him as a competitor not as someone to take the other spot. I was told by the coaches they hadn’t signed any goalies so you had to fight for your spot.”
They’ve helped the Knights to a 5-1 start putting them in first place in the Orr Division. Noah has a 2-1 record with a 2.67 GAA and .918 save percentage. Luke is 3-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .887 save percentage.
While it could be awkward with brothers battling for crease time, the duo say it won’t be a problem.
“At the end of the day it’s just a game and family matters more than a game,” Luke said.
“We care more about our relationship than we do about hockey,” Noah said. “Even though we are both really committed to hockey. We have a strong bond as brothers and I know that will triumph over anything.”
Brian said Luke is trying to establish himself as a starter after two years as a back-up. He says Noah looks up to him as a role model so he’s not too worried about the competition.
“Hopefully there is some healthy competition without negative competition creeping in,” he said.