Drew Miller Shares Stanley Cup With East Lansing Community
7/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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July 6, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Former Spartan hockey captain Drew Miller, a member of the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, brought the trophy to his hometown of East Lansing on Thursday. Over 1,000 fans joined Miller and the Cup at Munn Ice Arena for a full afternoon of media interviews and photo opportunities.
On the whole experience:
"It has been fun. We just got back from Sparrow Hospital after visiting the pediatrics unit there, continuing the Spartan Buddies program. It was great; the kids loved it. I got pictures taken with the kids and signed some autographs. They were really excited to see the Cup."
On his rookie season in the NHL:
"It has been a crazy year. I started the year in Portland and had a good season there - got to play a lot. To watch the boys here win a National Championship was so exciting. I was so proud to be a part of the team before and proud to be a Spartan. To get a chance to go up to Anaheim and win the Stanley Cup was a great feeling. It's hard to let it sink in; it's kind of like a fairy tail."
On his brother's (Ryan) quest for the Stanley Cup:
"He will win it someday. I know he will. He's been very supportive, coming to game one and game two meant a lot to me for him to be there. He's not touching the Cup; he stays a little bit away from it, but he is handling it very well. It is great to have a brother like that, very supportive and willing to be a part of it, but not touching it."
What he has planned for his visit to East Lansing:
"We did the hospital visit, and then the rink and we will do the fans downstairs after this. There's a party at the parent's house this evening, with family and friends; then out on the town a little bit. I want to introduce it to a few of the finer establishments around the area."
The craziest thing he plans on doing with the Stanley Cup:
"...It's all about being with your family and friends and just letting them experience it and enjoy it. It's great, two of the biggest hockey trophies in college and the NHL are right here in East Lansing. It is really good for the hockey program."
On how expectant he was to be called up...
"I knew we (Portland) weren't going to make the playoffs and I knew that they would be calling some of the guys up. I never thought I would get called up and play a week later against Minnesota, which was a great experience. Although I did not play that many minutes, it was a good experience. I got those initial feelings and jitters out of the way."