Michigan State University Athletics
The Miller Diaries
3/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 28, 2002
I think it was important for me to represent the Hobey Baker Award and play up to that caliber this season. It helped me learn how to deal with pressure. I was under a microscope every time we played. It was definitely a different approach. It's a tough thing to handle. I am glad I got the chance to do it in college instead of waiting a year or two down the line and having to learn how to do it when I am trying to make a career out of playing hockey.
The three finalists -- Mark Hartigan, Darren Haydar and Jordan Leopold -- are all good players. I had the chance to play against Leopold and I skated with Hartigan last summer in Minnesota and he's a really good player. I haven't played against Haydar, but from what I've seen and heard, he's also another good player. These guys all put together great years, and their teams have been successful because of their efforts. That's kind of how I measure a Hobey Baker winner. It's how important they are to their team, and they were all key members.
This summer I'm going to go over to Sweden with the U.S. National Team for the IIHF World Championship. I plan to hang out, have fun and go to class for the first summer semester. I'm going to take the second summer semester off just for a break. I plan on golfing all summer. I just try to go out and have fun on the course and also compete.
