Bob Miller (ice hockey)
Robert Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 September 1956 Medford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 30 September 2020 (aged 64) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player |
| Years active | 1977–1985 |
| Known for | NHL player with Boston Bruins, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Kings; 1978 Stanley Cup Finals participant |
Robert Michael Miller (September 28, 1956 – September 30, 2020) was an American ice hockey professional who played in 404 National Hockey League contests between 1977 and 1985. His NHL career included stints with the Boston Bruins, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Kings, notably participating in the 1978 Stanley Cup Finals with Boston. Beyond North America, Miller also competed internationally in Finland’s SM-liiga for Kärpät and in Switzerland’s Nationalliga A representing HC Sierre.
Early life
Originating from Medford, Massachusetts, Miller distinguished himself athletically at St. John's Preparatory School and Billerica High School. He advanced to play at the University of New Hampshire and was a member of the United States national ice hockey team at the 1976 Winter Olympics prior to starting his professional career.
Career
Miller took part in prominent international competitions such as the 1981 Canada Cup and several Ice Hockey World Championships during the years 1977, 1981, 1982, and 1985.
During his debut NHL season (1977–78) with the Boston Bruins, he was among a group of eleven teammates who each scored 20 goals—a franchise milestone that has yet to be equaled. He later joined the Bruins’ 2018 event commemorating this 40-year anniversary.
Personal life
He was the elder sibling of Paul Miller, who also played in the NHL. Robert Miller passed away on September 30, 2020, in Tampa, Florida.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1973–74 | Billerica High School | HS-MA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | University of New Hampshire | ECAC | 27 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Ottawa 67s | OMJHL | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 1975–76 | United States National Team | Intl | 63 | 33 | 61 | 94 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | University of New Hampshire | ECAC | 38 | 30 | 59 | 89 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 41 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | ||
| 1977–78 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1979–80 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 53 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1980–81 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 30 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 22 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 56 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Fort Worth Texans | CHL | 20 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 59 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Kärpät | FIN | 37 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 66 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 20 | ||
| 1984–85 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 63 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1985–86 | HC Sierre | NLA | 35 | 36 | 37 | 73 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1986–87 | HC Sierre | NLA | 4 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 404 | 75 | 119 | 194 | 220 | 36 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 27 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | United States | OLY | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1977 | United States | WC | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1981 | United States | WC | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | |
| 1981 | United States | CC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1982 | United States | WC | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1985 | United States | WC | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | |
| Career totals (Senior level) | 47 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | |||
Awards and honors
| Award | Season |
|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1976–77 |
| AHCA East All-American | 1976–77 |