Armed with booming shot, Miller quietly bided his time

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This article was published 22/09/2024 (378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Colin Miller didn’t hesitate when the Winnipeg Jets came calling in free agency.

Although the veteran defenceman sometimes seemed like a forgotten man in the rotation after he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils last March, Miller has been around the game long enough to view the situation through a different lens.

Appearing in five regular season games and just one in the playoffs wasn’t a deterrent for Miller, who had been on the Jets’ radar on several previous instances before he finally became a member of the organization last season.

So, after watching Brenden Dillon sign with the New Jersey in free agency and Nate Schmidt having the final year of his contract bought out before joining the Florida Panthers, Miller embraced the opportunity to remain with the Jets on July 1, inking a two-year deal rather than seek a chance to go elsewhere.

“Knowing the group here helps a lot. You know what you’re coming into,” Miller said after Sunday’s skate at Hockey For All Centre. “The team as a whole is so solid. Coming in, you’re excited to help out wherever you can.”

Miller, who was originally chosen in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Kings (151st overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, had changed teams on multiple occasions before last season but there’s always a transition period to go through in getting used to your new surroundings.

“It was different, for sure,” he said. “I’ve been moved around a little bit – well, a lot – throughout my career, but the one at the deadline is different. You’re coming into a time of year when you’ve got to be on. You’ve got to be moving and up to speed.

“You’re learning a new system, how the team plays and all of those things. It was tough to pick up, but also in some sense, with this group – it’s a mature group. Coming into this group, it was easy enough because guys are going to be where they’re supposed to be. So, it was easier than some situations (might be).”

Miller was among the players who suited up in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Minnesota Wild and he didn’t ease into things, leading all Jets with 22:57 of ice time – including 5:52 on the power play and 25 seconds while shorthanded.

He brings a big shot from the point and that was on display on Saturday, as he ripped home a slapper from the right point late in the first period to get the Jets on the board.

Miller had the hardest recorded shot in the NHL last season (102.59 miles per hour in a game against the Dallas Stars, according to NHL Edge) and it’s something that can be quite a weapon, especially if he’s going to get some reps with the Jets second power play unit when the real games begin.

“He’s been known for that,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, referring to the heavy shot Miller possesses.

Miller skated on a pairing with Haydn Fleury this past weekend and they might remain together once the regular season gets rolling.

Fleury is familiar with Miller’s ability to unload shots from the point dating back to their time as opponents in the American Hockey League.

“He’s got a bomb,” said Fleury. “I was actually joking around with him, I’m pretty sure he won the AHL hardest shot competition like eight years ago, nine years ago. He bombed it like 105. I knew he could bring it, I knew that from playing against him.”

Asked about when the blistering shot began to turn heads, Miller points to his time playing in the Ontario Hockey League with his hometown team, the Soo Greyhounds.

“I shot a lot of pucks when I was younger. Me and my buddy would go to a tennis court, set the net up and we would shoot pucks – that’s how it started,” said Miller. “More in my junior years was when I started focusing on it. I don’t know if it came naturally, but it was one of those things. What’s the old cliche, the rule of 10,000?”

Miller is quick to point out he hasn’t spent 10,000 hours working on his slapshot, but he’s shot more than 10,000 pucks over the years and that certainly helped with the increase in velocity.

“(On Saturday), it was great that I got a couple of shots off, but I got quite a few blocked,” said Miller, who had four shots on goal and 10 shot attempts in the 5-2 loss to the Wild. “You’re still getting it narrowed in.”

Miller went on to provide a checklist of other things he’s trying to get accomplished during the exhibition portion of the schedule.

“Honestly, it’s just getting your brain back familiar with seeing things and reading plays and taking rushes,” said Miller, who has 512 NHL games on his resume to go along with 41 playoff contests. “We do it in practice, but it’s Day 3 (of training camp). This is the quickest I’ve ever had, with going right into game action. Your body is there, but it’s (about) catching your mind up (to game speed). For me, that’s always the thing that it takes a bit (of time) to get back.”

Miller brings more than a bomb from the point and is in position to play an important role for the Jets defence corps this season and his versatility should serve him well.

“For me, this is not meant to come off as brash or whatever, but I feel like I’ve been put in a lot of different situations up to this point,” said Miller, who turns 32 on Oct. 29. “Whether it’s penalty kill, power play or that type of thing. I just think that every year in this league, you learn something new and you grow. Being in those situations helps me now to hopefully have a more well-rounded game.

“The group that we have is very strong and I’m excited to see where we can take it.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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