Ryan Miller Writes an Emotional Thank You Letter to Buffalo

Tonight is a big night for the City of Buffalo, Sabres fans and former NHL goaltender, Ryan Miller.

Tonight is Ryan Miller night at KeyBank Center, as the Sabres great will have his number 30 retired, along with having a ceremony that honors his career in Buffalo. That ceremony begins 6 pm, so make sure you're in your seats early for this game.

Miller was a late bloomer for prospects. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 1999 NHL Draft and then proceeded to breakout at Michigan State, where he won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's best player.

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Miller played in Buffalo from 2003-2014, with his full-time starting duties beginning in 2005-2006, which coincided with the magical two-year run the Sabres went on after the year-long NHL lockout.

Miller went on to be the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history and played with several different teams after his time in Buffalo.

Miller lives on the west coast but came back to Buffalo last tear for the first time with his family and is now spending time in Buffalo for this night. Miller took the time to write a letter to the City of Buffalo and Sabres fans, highlighting his time in Western New York and how much this region means to him.

The Michigan native says it's been hard, bouncing around from place to place in the NHL after his time in Buffalo. He says there was always a disconnect from the team to the city he played in. But Buffalo was connected like no other place he has ever been to.

This snippet from his article in the The Player's Tribune.

"And that connection I have with the city, with the community —  I won’t lie to you, it’s been hard to maintain. I had a long road after getting traded. I went to a few other places and started a life on the other side of the country. And then with the pandemic it’s been difficult to find time with my wife, Noureen, and our kids to get back east and really show them where I spent a huge part of my life. I missed Buffalo — more than I knew, really. Coming back this past summer, and then getting to come back again for the jersey retirement, it’s an opportunity to keep my family’s connection to the city strong. And that matters to me."

Ryan Miller is one of the most important athletes for 20 and 30-something Sabres fans. He was a huge part of people's fandom and childhoods here in Buffalo.

This honor is well-earned and it should be an emotional evening in downtown Buffalo.