Former Michigan State hockey player Drew Miller, a member of the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, will bring the Stanley Cup to his hometown of East Lansing on Thursday.
Media availability for Miller is at 2:45 on the Munn Arena concourse below the press box. Immediately following, there will be a public viewing of the Cup – with photo opportunities for fans – from 3-4:30 p.m. at Munn Arena.
The Miller family has requested that all interviews be conducted during the media availability at Munn Arena. The family function later that day is a private event.
Miller, who played for the Spartans from 2003-06, was drafted by the Ducks in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He captained the team as a junior before forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility to sign with the Ducks on May 3, 2006.
In his time at MSU, Miller accumulated 39 goals and 47 assists for 86 points. He was the squad's leading scorer with 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 44 games in his final collegiate season, and was named Michigan State 's Most Valuable Player. He was honored as the CCHA's Best Defensive Forward, and was named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team. This season, Michigan State also captured the 2006 CCHA Tournament title with a 2-1 victory over regular-season champion Miami , and advanced to the East Regional final in the NCAA Tournament.
In his addition to his excellence on the ice, Miller also left his mark on the community. Miller created the Spartan Buddy Program, where MSU athletes go to Sparrow Hospital on a regular basis to visit pediatric patients. He also participated in pen pal programs with local classrooms, Teams for Toys, DARE, and the Special Olympics. The commitment to community involvement earned Miller the CCHA's 2006 Illitch Humanitarian Award this past season and nominations for the Hockey Humanitarian Award in 2005 and 2006.
Miller spent the entire 2006-07 regular season with Anaheim ’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Portland Pirates. In 79 games, he scored 16 goals and added 20 assists for 36 points, and amassing 51 penalty minutes.
Miller was called up to the Ducks as the NHL playoffs began, and made his NHL debut in the Ducks’ first-round series against Vancouver. Miller played his first significant minutes in the Stanley Cup finals against Ottawa , earning a spot on the wing of Anaheim ’s top line – playing with Teemu Selanne and Andy MacDonald.
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