Outtakes with Ryan Miller
Kenny Mayne interviews Ryan Miller
KM: Are fans continuing to give you standing ovations, even when you're on the road?
RM: It's starting to settle down. I was in Detroit the other night and got a little bit of a reception. But you can never tell whether it's just fans from when I was at MSU.
KM: At some point they need to start booing you so that you feel normal again, right?
RM: It's surreal, but I'm sure there will be a backlash. People will tire of the positivity.
KM: Anything especially weird happen to you in Vancouver?
RM: It was hilarious just walking around the streets and taking in the city. People up there obviously know hockey well, so they'd notice me and I'd hear them murmur, "That's the USA goalie." Then they'd yell, "Hey, Miller," and I'd turn around expecting trash-talk, and they'd say, "Good luck tomorrow. Go Canada." That was the worst insult I faced.
KM: Could you play soccer goalie as well? Do goalie skills translate?
RM: If they keep reducing our equipment, I'll have to go to soccer camp and learn. But I don't have a good foot, so I don't think I could get the ball to the midfielders.
KM: Do you have a girlfriend in Buffalo?
RM: I have one, but she's an actress in LA. It actually got me called out by Ryan Seacrest during the Olympics. He mentioned my Hollywood connection. That was new.
KM: Is she somebody I should know?
RM: Her name is Noureen DeWulf. She was in "Ghost of Girlfriends Past" and "The Goods."
KM: So you both have your careers going, but on opposite ends of the country? Was she worried about having to check any Hungarian figure skaters who came on to you?
RM: No. She wouldn't go out of her way to get in anybody's face. She handles herself well.
KM: You have a foundation that was inspired by your late cousin's fight with cancer, right?
RM: Yeah, the Steadfast Foundation. We started that about four years ago to inspire Matt and the friends he made in the hospital. We just started off selling T-shirts that contained a tag with an explanation of how people could help -- not just Matt, but everyone in Buffalo with similar problems. Later, we staged a fashion show with live music and raised a bunch of money. That's when we said, "Oh, man. We should get organized because people are paying attention." So we did and aligned ourselves with Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Carly's Club, which is a group that helps with the psychosocial elements of fighting cancer.
KM: You own a clothing store in East Lansing. That's not a common venture for an NHLer.
RM: That's part of why I did it. I had a friend in the industry and a business degree from Michigan State, so I figured I'd put my money where my mouth was. We sell mainly designer jeans -- you know, the ones that drive parents insane.
KM: Are you wearing that kind of jeans also, or are you sporting Wranglers?
RM: Those are the only jeans that fit me. I'm too skinny. I have to wear designer ones.
KM: How slim are you? What are your dimensions?
RM: Probably like a 32- or 33-inch waist, and I'm only around 170 pounds right now.
KM: You're like the San Francisco pitcher of goalies -- a regular Tim Lincecum.
RM: We have a lot in common, other than his fastball. Maybe I can catch for him someday.
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