Friday, May 31, 2013

Miller wins Mickey Renaud Captain’s Award

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Colin Miller of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the 2012-13 recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy.

“It is a special honour to be awarded the Mickey Renaud Captains Trophy,” said Miller.  “I never had the privilege to meet or play against Mickey but I know he was a well respected captain and a great person.  To receive this in his memory is something I am very proud of.”

A three-year Greyhound and native of Sault Ste. Marie, the 20-year-old Miller was named team captain prior to the start of this season and was the backbone of the club that battled early season adversity and finished with a strong second half landing sixth in the Western Conference standings with 78 points.

"Having observed from the periphery the effect that Mickey Renaud's leadership had on the Windsor Spitfires and their evolution into back to back MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions, I know that the Renaud Family and the Spitfires will be proud to have a young leader like Colin Miller represent the award which bears Mickey's name and memory,” said Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Dubas.  “To have Colin Miller be named the recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy is the proudest moment that our organization has had in the time I have been here."

Miller was chosen for the award by a media selection committee as the OHL team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and his community that Mickey demonstrated.  Nomination forms were submitted by OHL General Managers on behalf of their individual team captains.  The selection committee consisted of a panel of four, representing media from each OHL division.

"This first half of this season was fraught with many challenges both on and off the ice for our hockey club, and the leadership of Colin Miller was the steady force which helped guide our team to success in the second half of the season,” Dubas continued.  “When each challenge presented itself, not only did Colin refuse to waver in his commitment to the Greyhounds, he could also be counted on to help push our team forward.  During adversity, Colin would always lead by example to help us navigate through tough times.”

Miller began his OHL career as a free agent with the Greyhounds in 2010-11.  Named Sault Star Trophy winner as the team’s Unsung Hero in 2011-12, he was later selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.  This season he produced career-high offensive numbers scoring 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points in 54 games and was one of the team leaders in community event participation contributing more than 40 hours to various programs including the Greyhounds’ “Kewadin Cares” program visiting patients in all wards of the Sault Area Hospital.  Miller was also recognized by Western Conference Coaches as the Most Underrated Player this season, and finished third in league voting for Overage Player of the Year.

"Colin's leadership off the ice and in the community was matched by his combination of skill, tenacity, and leadership on the ice,” Dubas added.  “He played through injury, and produced at a level which placed him in the Top-five in OHL scoring among defencemen, and did so while playing the vast majority of his minutes at even strength versus the opposition's top players.  His leadership was vital to moving our program forward and his contributions are something that we will never forget.  It is a very proud moment to see him deservingly awarded with the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy."

Miller becomes the fifth recipient of the award following Andrew Agozzino of the Niagara IceDogs, Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires, John Kurtz of the Sudbury Wolves, and Chris Terry of the Plymouth Whalers who won the inaugural award for the 2008-09 season.

The Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy will be formally presented to Miller at the OHL Awards Ceremony on Tuesday June 4 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. 

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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