The winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history, Ryan Miller’s (East Lansing, Mich.) extraordinary playing career also includes backstopping Team USA to an Olympic silver medal and being the only player ever to be named the best goalie in the NCAA, the AHL, the NHL and at the Olympic Winter Games.

The 2010 Vezina Trophy recipient as the top netminder in the NHL, Miller played 796 games across 18 seasons (2002-2021) in the NHL and finished with 391 wins, the most ever by an American-born netminder, and a .914 save percentage. The East Lansing, Michigan native spent 11 of those seasons with the Buffalo Sabres after being their 12th (138th overall) pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

Later in his playing career, Miller spent time with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks, before retiring after four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.

Miller played 540 games in a Sabres jersey, the franchise record for a netminder. He also holds Sabres’ goaltending records for most career wins (284), most wins in a season (41 in in 2009-10), and most shutouts by an American-born goaltender (28).

Across the entirety of his career, Miller established NHL records for an American-born netminder with 60 career shootout wins and 10 in a single season (2006-07). A two-time NHL All-Star, his 44 shutouts ranks second all-time in the NHL among American-born goaltenders.

A two-time Olympian, Miller was superlative in leading the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team to the gold-medal game and ultimately a silver medal after a heart-breaking overtime loss to Canada. Miller finished with a 5-1 record and an Olympic tournament best 1.30 goals against average and .946 saves percentage, both American Olympic records. He was named the Olympic MVP, earned the Directorate Award as the top goaltender, and named to the media all-star team. Miller returned to the Olympics with Team USA in 2014 and went 1-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .944 save percentage.

He also represented Team USA at the IIHF Men’s World Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and cumulatively registered a 4-0-0-3-1 record with a 2.09 GAA, .932 save percentage and two shutouts.

Miller spent three seasons (1999-2002) competing collegiately for the Michigan State University Spartans. While representing his hometown team, he played in 106 games and set an NCAA record with 26 career shutouts, and MSU records for career goals against average (1.54) and save percentage (.941). He was named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey in 2001 after leading the nation in wins, winning percentage, save percentage, GAA and shutouts.

Following his collegiate career, he played the majority of the next three seasons with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, where he was a two-time all-star and earned the Baz Bastien Memorial Award in 2005 as the league’s top netminder. 

Miller was inducted into the Michigan State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and earned the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2010.