Medicine Hat's Ryan Miller is playing in the WHL Championship with the Portland Winterhawks. (Jesse Gill/CHAT News via Zoom)

By Jesse Gill

SPORTS

Medicine Hat teenager Ryan Miller playing in WHL championship

May 14, 2024 | 12:33 PM

The Western Hockey League final is underway with 17-year-old Ryan Miller from Medicine Hat playing for the Portland Winterhawks.

Miller, the youngest player on the roster, finished second on the team in rookie points during the regular season, with six goals, nine assists and 15 points in 44 games.

In the playoffs, Miller contributed an assist in the first 15 games.

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The Winterhawks find themselves down 2-0 against the Moose Jaw Warriors in a best of seven series final.

The Winterhawks will need to win at least two of the next three scheduled games in Moose Jaw to send the series back to Portland.

Miller said his rookie season has been incredible with a lot of great character guys on the team, he told CHAT News on Monday.

“Our playoff run has been pretty incredible, as well winning the Western Conference championship and now in the finals, we just got to bear down to get the job done because I think we got a really good group to go do something special here,” Miller said.

“Our team’s got a ton of belief in what we do and I don’t think there’s a single guy in our dressing room that’s doubting their ability to do what they can do out there,” he added.

“We just got to play our game, play our style and whatever happens, happens.”

Miller said this is the longest hockey season he’s ever played in.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played into May. Well, unless you count spring hockey,” Miller said.

“It’s pretty incredible honestly. The group of guys we have, every day we show up to the rink and we’re just willing to work and, get better every single day.”

Miller appreciated being able to play the majority of his minor hockey career in Medicine Hat.

“All the kids I grew up playing with, we had a lot of talent there,” Miller said.

“A lot of hard working kids and I definitely got pushed, throughout my whole minor career there, a lot of great coaches that I passed through and they’ve taught me a lot of things and it’s just been a great community, honestly.”

Miller is excited to have his parents making the trip to Moose Jaw to watch him play.

The team arrived in Moose Jaw, Sask., on Sunday hosting practice out of the Barkman Arena in Caronport on Monday.

It’s an arena familiar to Miller from his time in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League playing against Prairie Hockey Academy while with the Northern Alberta Xtreme U-15 Prep team and South Alberta Hockey Academy U-18 Prep team.

Game 3 and 4 are Tuesday and Wednesday at the Moose Jaw Event Centre starting at 8 p.m. local time each night.

The winner of the series will compete at the Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Mich., beginning May 24.