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A veteran stalwart on the Bruins’ blue line is hanging up his skates for good.
Defenseman Kevan Miller announced via Instagram on Wednesday morning that he has decided to retire after seven seasons in the NHL — all with the Boston Bruins.
"Although my spirit for the game is there, unfortunately my body isn't,” Miller said in his post. “My overall health and my family are now the priority. This was not an easy decision to make, but it's time to hang up my skates.
He added: “I called New England home for almost 18 years. My kids were born in Boston, it’s where my wife and I started our family. From Berkshire (School) to UVM to Providence to Boston, the relationships with so many that have been on this journey mean the world to me. People say it a lot, there’s nothing like playing for a New England team, a statement that couldn’t be more true.”
A hard-nosed, physical blueliner, Miller’s pugnacious style of play often left welts against the opposition, but his own body unfortunately paid the price during his pro career — with the 33-year-old finding himself on the mend due to a number of severe injuries, be it broken bones, torn muscles and even a damaged larynx.
The most devastating injury of Miller’s career came in Boston’s penultimate game of the 2018-19 regular season — as he suffered a vertical fracture to his right kneecap after slamming into the boards. While attempting to rehab his injury as part of a potential return in time for the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, Miller suffered a horizontal fracture to his same kneecap — sidelining him for the remainder of the postseason and eventually the entire 2019-20 campaign.
Despite multiple setbacks and surgeries that very well could have signaled an end for his playing career, Miller returned to Boston on a one-year deal this past fall and miraculously managed to get back on the ice for this club — serving a key role as a veteran leader on Boston’s third D pairing.
Unfortunately, injuries continued to plague Miller throughout the 2021 season — with a setback with his restructured knee putting him on the shelf for close to two months. Miller returned in time for the postseason, but played his last game against the Capitals in the first round, with a high hit from Dmitry Orlov knocking him out of the rest of Boston’s Cup run with a concussion.
Speaking after the season, Miller was candid about his future in the NHL and what the next steps were after another frustrating season as far as injuries were concerned.
"It weighs on you, it's not easy,” Miller said. “You want to be out there with the guys and helping them win. I think I could have helped. Just get one more game. That's how it goes sometimes, that's hockey. That's life. Just have to turn the page.”
Given Miller’s unfortunate track record with the injury bug, it remained to be seen just how Boston would have approached the situation with Miller had he opted to return for another go at it in 2021-22. Even if he wasn’t penciled in as a starter on that third pair, he certainly would have been a very helpful depth piece on a D corps that sure could use a lot of it after how Boston’s Cup run ended at the hands of the Islanders last month.
While the Bruins could fill the void of a veteran depth piece with a guy like Jarred Tinordi, finding a regular third-pairing guy on the right side could be a tougher challenge — especially if Miller’s presumed replacement in Connor Clifton is scooped up by Seattle next week. If such is the case and Clifton heads west, don’t be surprised if Boston kicks the tires on a bigger, affordable option for that spot, such as 6-foot-5 Jani Hakanpää.