BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
04-29-2008, 07:45 PM
Selected as a representative for the NHL / NHLPA’s latest workshop, Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller has one objective in mind:
Safety first.
Chosen as one of eight panelists for the Goalie Equipment Working Group - along with fellow goaltenders Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) and Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders), forwards Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators) and Mike Cammalleri (Los Angeles Kings) and NHL representatives Doug Risebrough (Minnesota Wild), Garth Snow (New York Islanders) and Brett Hull (Dallas Stars) - Miller believes the league should err on the side of caution when it comes to keeping netminders protected.
”I feel like I’m a pretty analytical guy so I’ll listen to what everybody has to say and their opinions and hopefully they will listen to mine as well,” Miller said of the group set to meet on June 11 in Toronto.
”I just want to make sure the goalies are looked out for mainly because a lot of the talk is always, first-things-first, they want to trim everything down, make everything smaller. I just want to make sure that everything is done in a safe way.”
Miller found out first-hand the effects of not having proper equipment, quite literally, in the 2005-06 season after the league reduced the size of pads following the NHL lockout.
Attempting to stop a shot with his blocker in practice, the puck hit Miller’s hand resulting in a fractured thumb and 18 missed games (11/2-12/8).
“I thought it could have been prevented if they had done more testing [on equipment],” Miller said. “If they want us to play 70 games a season as a starting goaltender that year, [we need to] have adequate protection to play night in and night out.
“This is an opportunity for me to give back to the game and something for me obviously to look out for the goaltenders.”
http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=362025
Safety first.
Chosen as one of eight panelists for the Goalie Equipment Working Group - along with fellow goaltenders Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) and Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders), forwards Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators) and Mike Cammalleri (Los Angeles Kings) and NHL representatives Doug Risebrough (Minnesota Wild), Garth Snow (New York Islanders) and Brett Hull (Dallas Stars) - Miller believes the league should err on the side of caution when it comes to keeping netminders protected.
”I feel like I’m a pretty analytical guy so I’ll listen to what everybody has to say and their opinions and hopefully they will listen to mine as well,” Miller said of the group set to meet on June 11 in Toronto.
”I just want to make sure the goalies are looked out for mainly because a lot of the talk is always, first-things-first, they want to trim everything down, make everything smaller. I just want to make sure that everything is done in a safe way.”
Miller found out first-hand the effects of not having proper equipment, quite literally, in the 2005-06 season after the league reduced the size of pads following the NHL lockout.
Attempting to stop a shot with his blocker in practice, the puck hit Miller’s hand resulting in a fractured thumb and 18 missed games (11/2-12/8).
“I thought it could have been prevented if they had done more testing [on equipment],” Miller said. “If they want us to play 70 games a season as a starting goaltender that year, [we need to] have adequate protection to play night in and night out.
“This is an opportunity for me to give back to the game and something for me obviously to look out for the goaltenders.”
http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=362025