Thursday, May 28, 2009

Miller USA Junior Player of the Year

Press Release

USA Hockey announced today that Chicago Steel forward Andrew Miller has been named the recipient of the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award – the seventh consecutive season and 13th time overall that a player from the USHL has captured the honor.

Miller, now bound for Yale University, led the USHL in scoring during the 2008-09 season recording 82 points (32g, 50a) in 58 games on his way to being named the B2 Networks USHL Player of the Year. He was also named the CCM USHL Forward of the Year and earned a spot on the All-USHL First Team. Miller is just the third USHL player in the past six seasons to reach the 80-point plateau. Playing his second USHL season, he doubled the point production of 41 points (14g, 37a) from his rookie campaign.

Miller began the season on an eight-game point streak, registered a point in 15 of the first 16 games, and put together a season high nine-game point streak (9g, 9a) from December 5th to January 3rd. He registered his first hat trick in the USHL this past New Year's Eve, scoring three goals at Waterloo. He twice tallied four points in a game (December 6th in a 4-1 win against Des Moines, and in the final game of the Steel's regular season on April 4th, a 6-4 win vs. Indiana.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native recorded 27 multi-point games during the 2008-09 season. Miller also tied for the USHL lead in shootout goals, scoring on four of his five attempts.

"It's an honor not only for Andrew Miller, but for the Chicago Steel and the entire USHL, to see the award for USA Hockey's best junior player go to Andrew," said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. "That 82-point performance was the result of a gifted player working hard every shift of every game – and nobody did it better."

The Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the outstanding American-born player in junior hockey who played for a team based in the United States. The award is determined by a panel of junior hockey coaches and administrators.

Previous USHL recipients:

2008 – Jack Connolly, Sioux Falls Stampede

2007 – Jeff Petry, Des Moines Buccaneers

2006 – Trevor Lewis, Des Moines Buccaneers

2005 – Jeff Lerg, Omaha Lancers

2004 – Joe Pavelski, Waterloo Black Hawks

2003 – Ryan Potulny, Lincoln Stars

2001 – Chris Fournier, Lincoln Stars

2000 – Aaron Smith, Green Bay Gamblers

1999 – Peter Fregoe, Des Moines Buccaneers

1998 – Nate DiCasmirro, North Iowa Huskies

1997 – Karl Goehring, Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks

1994 – Jason Blake, Waterloo Black Hawks

The USHL celebrated its 30th season of junior hockey in 2008-09. With over 175 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 16 NHL Draft picks that played in the league this season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.


(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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