The Buffalo Sabres will honour a franchise icon by retiring his jersey next season.
Ryan Miller, who tended goal for the Sabres for 12 years, will have his No. 30 raised to the rafters next season. Miller will also be inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame.
"In five-plus decades, no player has worn the Buffalo Sabres sweater with more authenticity, intensity and pride than you did for 12 unforgettable years," long-time Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret said in a video announcing the news.
Miller was originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Sabres in 199 and made his NHL debut during the 2003-04 season, taking over the starting job full-time two years later.
His best season came in 2009-10, when he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender, finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting and won Olympic silver with Team USA. In 2006 and 2007, he backstopped the Sabres to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals — with the team winning the President's Trophy in 2007 as well.
Miller is first on the franchise's all-time list in games played by a goalie (540) and wins (284) and is second behind only Dominik Hasek in shutouts (28).
"Ryan Miller embodied what fans in Western New York expect from those who wear a Buffalo Sabres uniform: on-ice excellence, commitment and authentic love for this community," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said in a statement. "His lasting relationship with the people here in Buffalo remains a standard we strive to follow every day."
The Sabres traded Miller to the St. Louis Blues during the 2013-14 season and would later play for the Canucks and Ducks. He retired in 2021 after 18 seasons as the all-time winningest American-born goaltender with 390.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.