Monday, September 7, 2009

Troops claim goalie Millen on waivers

Press Release

BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion acquired goaltender Charlie Millen off waivers from the Peterborough Petes on Thursday.

Millen, who turns 17 on Dec. 10, was expected to play against the visiting Guelph Storm in an Ontario Hockey League preseason game at 7 p.m. Thursday.

With veteran Patrick Killeen set to leave for the prospects camp of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Millen will partner 16-year-old Jacob Riley for the rest of the exhibition schedule.

“We know Jacob will be a very good goalie down the road, but we need to make sure that keeping him here is the right thing to do,” said Stan Butler, Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach. “The only way we can do that is to bring in some other guys to compare him to.”

Millen, a resident of Bridgenorth, Ont., was chosen by the Petes in the 14th round of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection from the Peterborough Petes major midgets. He was at the Petes’ camp vying to back up veteran Jason Missiaen but left last Saturday after Peterborough signed Andrew D'Agostini, a third-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in May.

Millen, five-foot-nine and 150 pounds, played with the major midget Petes last season, making one appearance with the junior A Peterborough Stars.

Millen’s goaltender father, Greg, was a sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 1977 NHL amateur draft and played 14 seasons with the Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. The elder Millen played 172 games over five seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association with the Petes, Toronto Marlboros and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

He now is a colour commentator on the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and for home-market telecasts of Toronto Maple Leafs games.

(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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