WILMINGTON, Mass. — Kevan Miller is a very strong man, and that’s one reason the Boston Bruins recently gave the young defenseman a new two-year contract.
Miller’s strength is well-known in the Boston dressing room, and he apparently isn’t shy about showing off his muscular build. Two days after he signed a new contract, Miller was a topic of discussion following Bruins practice Thursday, and the conversation came back to the fact that he doesn’t really like to wear a shirt often.
The 26-year-old is from California, which might have something to do with his decision to skip the shirt from time to time. Bruins head coach Claude Julien was asked if he could tell that Miller is from the Golden State.
“No,” Julien initially stated. “Maybe if you look at him without a shirt on, maybe he worked out at the beach. But other than that, you can’t tell.”
Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is getting used to seeing Miller’s strength on the ice, and he also has noticed the defenseman’s decision to forego a shirt.
“He’s an animal, that guy. He’s probably one of the strongest guys on the team,” Rask said. “He likes to wheel around with no shirt on and show off his muscles.”
Miller’s strength isn’t news to anyone in Bruins organization, though. He tied captain Zdeno Chara for the most pull-ups done during training camp this season. Miller has shown his strength in games, too, with plenty of physical play, as he displayed with a couple of thunderous body checks Monday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings.
“He’s really strong and he’s got that good skating positions and always ready to battle,” Rask added. “He’s really strong on those 1-on-1 battles.”
The Bruins know all about Miller’s strength, both from what they see on and off the ice, and if he continues to play as he has in his first NHL season, the rest of the league will know before too long.
