Miller, Comley Elected to Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

East Lansing, Mich. -- Spartan hockey legends Ryan Miller and Rick Comley will be inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in September

Miller and Comley, along with Spartan football player Lorenzo White, make up nearly a third of the 2023 induction class. They are joined by Michigan's Sierra Romero (softball) and Lamarr Woodley (football), Detroit Piston Rip Hamilton, Detroit Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg, sports agent and manager Colleen Howe, voice of the NHL Mike Emerick, and former sailboat racing legend Dawn Riley. The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14 in Detroit. Full details can be found here.

The best American-born goaltender in the game's history, East Lansing native Ryan Miller achieved the game's highest accolades at every single level. Miller's extraordinary playing career also includes backstopping Team USA to an Olympic silver medal and being the only player ever to be named the best goalie in the NCAA, the AHL, the NHL and at the Olympic Winter Games.

The 2010 Vezina Trophy recipient as the top netminder in the NHL, Miller played 796 games across 19 seasons (2002-2021) in the NHL and finished with 391 wins, the most ever by an American-born netminder, and a .914 save percentage. He spent 11 of those seasons with the Buffalo Sabres after being their 12th (138th overall) pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Later in his playing career, Miller spent time with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks, before retiring after four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.

Miller played 540 games in a Sabres jersey, the franchise record for a netminder. He also holds Sabres' goaltending records for most career wins (284), most wins in a season (41 in in 2009-10), and most shutouts by an American-born goaltender (28). The Sabres retired his jersey in January 2023.

Across the entirety of his career, Miller established NHL records for an American-born netminder with 60 career shootout wins and 10 in a single season (2006-07). A two-time NHL All-Star, his 44 shutouts ranks second all-time in the NHL among American-born goaltenders.

A two-time Olympian, Miller was superlative in leading the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team to the gold-medal game and ultimately a silver medal after a heart-breaking overtime loss to Canada. Miller finished with a 5-1 record and an Olympic tournament best 1.30 goals against average and .946 saves percentage, both American Olympic records. He was named the Olympic MVP, earned the Directorate Award as the top goaltender, and named to the media all-star team. Miller returned to the Olympics with Team USA in 2014 and went 1-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .944 save percentage.

He also represented Team USA at the IIHF Men's World Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and cumulatively registered a 4-0-0-3-1 record with a 2.09 GAA, .932 save percentage and two shutouts.

Miller spent three seasons (1999-2002) competing collegiately for Michigan State. While representing his hometown team (and continuing a family legacy at MSU), he played in 106 games and set an NCAA record with 26 career shutouts, and MSU records for career goals against average (1.54) and save percentage (.941). He was named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey in 2001 after leading the nation in wins, winning percentage, save percentage, GAA and shutouts.

Following his collegiate career, he played the majority of the next three seasons with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, where he was a two-time all-star and earned the Baz Bastien Memorial Award in 2005 as the league's top netminder.

Miller was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022, the Michigan State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, and earned the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2010.

One of the longest tenured and most successful coaches in NCAA history, Stratford, Ontario native Rick Comley won 783 games over a 38-year period at three different schools, all within the state of Michigan. He spent his time behind the benches of Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University and Michigan State University. NCAA National championships came in 1991 with Northern Michigan and in 2007 with Michigan State.

His illustrious coaching career began in 1973 when taking the helm from another former Spartan coach, Ron Mason at Lake Superior State. His success was immediate – the Lakers were CCHA runners-up and NAIA national champions. In three years at LSSU, Comley compiled a 59-46-3 mark. Then in 1976 a new opportunity presented itself and soon, Comley was tasked with launching a hockey program at Northern Michigan University.

After one season as an independent, NMU moved into the CCHA. By Comley's fourth season guiding the Wildcats (1979-80), they were CCHA regular season and playoff champions and were playing in the NCAA national championship game. A second trip to the NCAA Frozen Four followed the next season. In 1984, Northern Michigan joined Michigan Tech as the two upper peninsula schools joined the WCHA. The Wildcats remained in that circuit until 1997 when NMU rejoined the CCHA.

During his 13 seasons in the WCHA, Comley's teams won one WCHA regular season title, three playoff titles, made the NCAA tournament four times and won the national championship in 1991 in one of the tournament's most dramatic games ever, a come-from-behind, 8-7 triple overtime win over Boston University.

Through 26 seasons at Northern Michigan, Comley won 538 games and posted 18 winning campaigns. Then, for the second time in his career, he followed in the footsteps of the iconic Ron Mason and in 2002 took over the Michigan State program.

During his nine-season run as Michigan State head coach, Comley compiled a 186-140-39 record with the Spartans. His best campaign came in the 2006-07 season when MSU finished fourth in the CCHA standings, third in the playoff tournament but then went on a magical run through the NCAA tournament culminating in a national championship victory over Boston College.

Comley retired following the 2010-11 season, amassing a career coaching record of 783-615-110 in his 38 years as a head coach. He was named CCHA Coach of the Year twice (1980 and 1981) and WCHA Coach of the Year twice (1989 and 1991). He won the Spencer Penrose Trophy as national coach of the year on two occasions as well (1980 and 1991, and was the runner up in 2007). His teams won three regular season titles, seven playoff championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament nine times, making the Frozen Four on four occasions. Comley received the 2020 Legend of College Hockey Award by the Hobey Baker Foundation.

Comley was a four-year letter winner under Ron Mason at Lake Superior State (1967-71) and was a two-time NAIA All-American. In his senior season in 1971, he was named team captain and became LSSU's Most Valuable Player. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach under Mason for the 1972-73 season before being named his successor when Mason departed for Bowling Green State University.

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