By: Steve McClure | Follow me on Twitter / X @stmcclure1993
Happy birthday to former Boston Bruins left-wing Jay Miller. The Wellesley, Massachusetts native turns 64 today.
Miller served as a fourth-line enforcer for Boston from 1985 through January of 1989. He amassed 168+ penalty minutes in each of his four seasons—with a hefty total of 858 over four years. During that era he was considered one of the NHL’s most feared heavyweight pugilists.
One of a number of willing Boston tough guys, Miller—by far—won a large percentage of his battles against the league’s top combatants and became a fan favorite instantly. He would also contribute a handful of goals each season for good measure.
Miller never scored in his two-year playoff career with Boston, but during the 1987–88 Stanley Cup-run, he accumulated a league-leading 124 penalty minutes in only twelve playoff games. In the opening round Adams Division series with Buffalo, Miller found himself in four separate scraps.
Part way through the 1988-89 season, Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Kings—along with a player to be named late (Steve Kasper)—for another Massachusetts homeboy by the name of Bobby Carpenter. While in Los Angeles, Miller continued his enforcer role, primarily protecting Wayne Gretzky, for four more seasons. He netted two playoff goals in 34 playoff games with the Kings.
Jay Miller played 216 regular season games for the Boston Bruins. He scored thirteen goals and added 20 assists over that time period. He is 15th place all-time in penalty-minutes for the Bruins.
Happy birthday, Jay!
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