It looks like K’Andre Miller will be making history
K’Andre Miller will join a select group of New York Rangers defensemen if he makes the starting lineup
K’Andre Miller looks like he is about to win the job as Jacob Trouba‘s partner on the first defense pairing for the New York Rangers. After turning pro in March and practicing with the team at the Stanley Cup Qualifier training camp, Miller has consistently impressed the Rangers’ brain trust.
Now, he appears to be the front runner for the role of Jacob Trouba’s defense partner and the Rangers are promoting him on Twitter.
He's tough to beat. pic.twitter.com/1sUZA60AXh
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 11, 2021
If Miller is in the starting lineup, he will be a few days shy of his 21st birthday and that will put him in some select company.
Rangers defensemen younger than 21
Since 1979, only ten Rangers defensemen have made their debuts before they turned 21. Only four of them did that at the start of a season by winning a role with the team in training camp.
The last to do it was Tim Erixon who made the team in 2011-12 at age 20 years, 225 days and started the season on the NHL roster. He only lasted 18 games before being sent to the AHL where he finished the season. He was sent to Columbus the next summer in the trade for Rick Nash.
Michael Del Zotto made the team in 2010-11 at the age of 19 years, 100 days. He played the entire season with the Rangers,making the jump directly from the London Knights of the OHL. Del Zotto did find himself in the AHL briefly in his sophomore year, but stuck with the team until his trade to Nashville for Kevin Klein.
Before Del Zotto there was Marc Staal who joined the Rangers in October 2007 at the age of 20 years, 264 days. He played 80 games in his inaugural season after being selected 12th overall in the 2005 draft. He made the NH Ldirectly from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL a year after he was drafted.
The only other rookie to make the team out of camp before turning 21 is Terry Carkner who won a job in 1986-87 after being drafted 14th overall in the first round in 1984. While Carkner spent most of the season in New York, he did have a stint in New Haven.
Other pre-21 defensemen
Brian Leetch may not have made the team out of training camp, but he actually made it before that. In 1988, Leetch joined the team in February after the Olympics. He was 19 years, 363 days old and played the last 17 games of the season and was a regular the next fall.
The same applies to James Patrick who joined the Rangers after leaving the Canadian National team in 1984. He played his first game in March at age 20 years, 267 days. The ninth overall pick in 1981, he played the last 12 games in the regular season and five in the playoffs and was a regular for the next nine years. Here are some other defensemen who played for the team before turning 21:
- Fedor Tyutin was 20 years, 210 days old when he made his Ranger debut in February 2004.
- Tomas Kloucek was 20 years, 250 days old when he was called up in November 2000.
- Ed Hospodar was 20 years, 285 days old when he got the call in November 1979.
- Finally, Jay More was just 19 years, 299 days old in November 1988 when he was called up from Denver to make his Ranger debut. He played only one game that season and was subsequently dealt to San Jose. More was the 10th overall selection in the 1987 Entry Draft and although he played 406 games in the NHL, he only played 15 with the Blueshirts and has to go done as another failed first round pick.
About K’Andre Miller
On opening night, January 14, K’Andre Miller will be 20 years, 359 days old. If he is in the lineup he makes he under 21 crowd by six days. If he can stick with the team he will join players like Leetch, Patrick, Staal and Del Zotto who made the team for good and went on to have productive NHL careers.
Most recently, Dave Maloney was 18 years old when he joined the Rangers in 1974 and was the youngest captain in team history at age 20.
Miller won’t be able to set any scoring records for youngest defenseman in franchise history. Here are some franchise marks for young defensemen:
- In 1942 Red Garrett was only 18 years, 154 days when he became the youngest defenseman to score an NHL goal.
- Ron Greschner was 20 years, eight days old when he became the youngest Ranger defenseman to get three points in a game. He broke Rod Seiling‘s record, set in 1964, by six days.
- In February, 1969, Brad Park was 20 years, 211 days old when he set a team mark for the youngest player with four points in a game.
- February 17, 1989, Brian Leetch was 20 years, 351 days old when he got five points in a game against the Maple Leafs.
Miller might have had a shot at some of these records if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed his professional contract in March and could have potentially seen some action at the edn of the last season is it had gone the full 82 games. Also, if the 2020-21 season had started in October and he had made the roster, he would have been four months younger when making his debut.
He does have a chance to join Brian Leetch as a defenseman younger than 21 who made the leap from the NCAA directly to the NHL. That’s pretty good company.
Related Story. Seven players on waivers. light