He’s been featured on the Today Show [video below], in Vanity Fair magazine, on Sirius XM radio – and that was just this week.

No, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller isn’t running for political office. But he certainly has captured widespread attention in the U.S., becoming the poster child for an Olympic tournament that has renewed his country’s interest in hockey.

“It became pretty apparent that we had America’s attention when I went on Ryan Seacrest — that was different,” Miller told Vanity Fair. “That’s a completely different world to us. We are used to talking to our local sports page and local sports radio. If we get anything national, it’s usually sometime deep in the playoffs. But to suddenly be thrust into the spotlight … It’s been good for the game in that way.”

Beyond his hockey attributes, the native of East Lansing, Mich. possesses the same quality that allowed Sidney Crosby to become the face of hockey in Canada (never mind the fact that Crosby scored on Miller in overtime to win Canada the gold medal).

Writes Tom Bauerle of WBEN radio in Buffalo, “Ryan Miller has that special Mid-America something which can’t be taught by coaches or imaging consultants or PR flaks: you can’t help but liking him and rooting for his success.”

Ironically, Miller’s hockey game is much flashier than his personality. He is leading the league in save percentage (.931) and entered Saturday’s game against Detroit ranked second in goals-against average (2.15).

History suggests it may be difficult for a goalie to achieve the same level of stardom as a skater. But recent history also suggests that the city of Buffalo, and the sport of hockey, will take their superstars however they come.
 

C Maxim Lapierre returned Saturday from his four-game suspension for his hit on San Jose’s Scott Nichol. … To make room for Lapierre on the active roster, the Habs sent C Ben Maxwell to AHL affiliate Hamilton on Friday. The 21-year-old former second-round draft pick was held scoreless in 12 NHL games this season. … Carey Price entered Saturday’s game against Boston with a 3-0 record, a .971 save percentage and a 0.97 goals-against average against the Bruins this season. … Sergei Kostitsyn’s two-point night against Edmonton on Thursday was his first since Feb. 2 against Vancouver, his only other multi-point game this season.

 

A headline in The Globe and Mail decried the blind-side hit Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke delivered on Bruins center Marc Savard as “A black eye for hockey.” According to the article, Savard has “has stayed inside his Boston condo, unable to do much beyond eat and sleep. His friends and Bruins teammates say he exists in a vacuum of silence – no TV, no music – with curtains drawn even in daylight.” The article had 180 comments as of Saturday night. … Some expect the Bruins to exact retribution when the teams play each other again Thursday. … Patrice Bergeron had two goals and three assists in his first two games after taking over for Savard as the B’s top-line center. … GM Peter Chiarelli addressed the team before Thursday’s game in Philadelphia, which the Bruins won 5-1.

 

The Leafs have applied to the NHL to host either the 2012 or 2013 all-star game. "We've developed a very strong proposal that reflects making this NHL weekend event into the ultimate sports experience, and we're confident that hockey fans and Torontonians share our desire to bring the NHL all-star weekend back to Toronto," Bob Hunter, one of the vice-presidents of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said in a release. … Watch Phil Kessel’s overtime goal from Thursday’s 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. … LW Luca Caputi, the 21-year-old acquired from Pittsburgh in the deadline-day deal for Alexei Ponikarovsky, has a goal and four points in five games for the Leafs. … Toronto’s back-to-back wins against Boston and Tampa Bay were their first since Dec. 12 and 14, against Washington and Ottawa. … Christian Hanson blogs about his relationship with his famous father, Dave.

 

Newcomer Andy Sutton posted seven shots on goal in the Sens’ 4-1 win over Edmonton on Tuesday. The defenseman has yet to register a point in five games since being acquired from the New York Islanders. … The Sens were 4-5-1 prior to Saturday night’s game against Vancouver since their 11-game winning streak ended on Feb. 4. … D Anton Volchenkov reached a career milestone Thursday night, blocking his 1,000th career shot since the NHL started recording the stat in the 2005-06 season ... Forward Chris Neil called Edmonton D Ryan Whitney “a backstabber” after Whitney’s hit to Neil’s head Tuesday. … Watch a post-trade deadline interview with GM Bryan Murray. … Erin Crowe, the vice president, CFO and alternate governor of Senators Sports & Entertainment, has been nominated for 2009 Business Woman of the Year.

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