Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. In 2010, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender. In February 2019, Miller became the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history, surpassing John Vanbiesbrouck. He was selected to play for the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as the team's starting goaltender. He won a silver medal with the team and was named most valuable player of the tournament. Four years later, he was selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Miller is one of 39 goaltenders in NHL history to win 300 games in his career. Miller, known for his hybrid style of goaltending, is the older brother of former NHL forward Drew Miller. Early life Miller grew up in East Lansing, Michigan. He started playing youth hockey in California. In youth hockey, Miller originally played as a forward, however, Miller became frustrated with the poor play of his team's goaltender, so he begged his coach as well as his father, Dean Miller, to let him try it out. His father told him that if he could get two goals and three assists the next game he would buy Ryan a catching glove. Miller finished the game with two goals and three assists in the win. His brother Drew and cousins Kelly, Kevin and Kip all played in the NHL. All five attended Michigan State University, where Ryan Miller played goaltender for three years. Playing career College As a college player for the Michigan State University Spartans, Miller set a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record with 26 career shutouts and was the winner of the Hobey Baker Award in 2001, when he led the country in wins, winning percentage, save percentage (an NCAA record .950 mark), goals against average (GAA) and shutouts (an NCAA record 10). Miller played outdoors in the Cold War – a game between Michigan and Michigan State held in 2001. Miller was selected as the 2001 Big Ten-Jesse Owens Men's Athlete of the Year. Miller was the CCHA's Goaltender of the Year all three of his seasons in East Lansing, and was the league's overall MVP twice. Ten members of Miller's family, including his grandfather,