There’s a lot of power when K’Andre Miller shakes your hand.
The U.S. National Development Program player tested first in grip strength for both hands among the 104 National Hockey League prospects invited to this spring’s draft combine. But the 6-foot-4 defenceman from Minnesota is strong in other ways, too.
In an interview last fall with William Douglas for the Color of Hockey website, Miller talked about breaking stereotypes as an African-American athlete.
“I was a long, skinny kid,” he said. “I looked like a basketball player. Every time I would go out to eat, people would be, like, ‘Oh, you play basketball, don’t you?’ I’d be like, ‘No, I actually play hockey.’ And they’d be like, ‘Wow, you don’t really look like that type of player.’
“It’s always been my motivation to prove to people that no matter what your skin color is, what you look like in general, you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. When I see people of color in my community in (Minnesota) trying to play hockey, I always go up to them whenever I can and straight-up tell them: ‘Don’t listen to what anybody says. Play whatever you want to play. If it’s hockey, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, whatever you want to do, just do it.”
Team: USNTDP
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
From: Hopkins, Minn.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 198 pounds
There’s a lot to Miller, who is one of the most interesting players in this year’s draft.
He has played only two full seasons as a defenceman after switching from forward, yet made Team USA’s world under-18 team this year and had nine goals and 29 points in 58 games in the national development program.
Although he’s still learning the position and is considered a raw prospect, Miller skates well and plays a smart defensive game. And he’s still growing. A year ago, he was projected to be a second- or third-round draft pick. NHL Central Scouting ranks him as the 23rd skater in North America.
But most scouting services and websites predict he’ll be chosen in Dallas in the final third of the first round. And a team looking for an imposing, physical defenceman who can also skate and make a pass, may see all the potential in Miller and draft him even higher. Possibly much higher.
This is a player outside the top-10 who has impact potential, and whose strength could lead to something special.
WHAT HIS COACH SAYS
“It’s unique that (Miller) has the skill set to be an elite defenceman,” USNTDP coach Seth Appert said. “He’s long, rangy, he’s got a good defensive stick and he can really skate. Right off the bat when you see a guy like that you think he would be a good power centre. But he also has a real special skill set that translates to defence. He’s still learning the finer nuances of the position.
“I think one thing he’s become really adept at is defensive gapping and playing a new style of NHL defence where players are not defending while skating backwards all the time, like 15 years ago. It’s all about skating forward and angling, so they’re gapping and swinging in with good sticks and good angles to shut plays down instead of just backing off and letting the rush come to them.”
WHAT MILLER SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF
“I think I’m a defensive defenceman with offensive abilities. I like to use my speed, my strength, my vision to my advantage and when the time is right, join up in the rush and make good plays. I compare myself to Seth Jones; I think I play a lot like him. Really, I think the sky is the limit for my development and my training.”
AN ASSIST FROM CHELIOS
Miller participated in the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in September in Buffalo, where his guest coach was Hall of Fame defenceman Chris Chelios. Miller had struggled to adapt to his new position and better competition the previous season.
“(Chelios) knew that I had not started out the season the way I wanted to, so he said, ‘Play your game,’ ” Miller told USA Hockey’s website. “’You know what you can do and keep it simple and have fun. That is the biggest thing — you need to have fun. Whether you are having a bad game or a good game, the bottom line is to have fun.’”
Miller had an assist in the game and said the experience restored his confidence and re-launched his draft season.
ONE STEP BACK, TWO STEPS FORWARD
Miller, who was introduced to hockey by his uncle and has committed to play at the University of Wisconsin next season, was a centre until his senior year of high school when his coach in Minnetonka asked him to try defence.
“I was a forward my whole life,” Miller told USA Hockey. “My coach back in Minnesota, he was looking for an extra guy to build a team. He wanted to know if I wanted to try it for a few games. I ended up liking it a lot and was able to get up in the rush.
“It was really hard at first. (But) one of the things that I liked most about being a defenceman is that I still get to rush the puck. I can use my offensive ability to be a fourth forward.”
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