Greg Millen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greg Millen |
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| Born | June 25, 1957 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | April 7, 2025 (aged 67) Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right | ||
| Played for | Pittsburgh Penguins Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues Quebec Nordiques Chicago Blackhawks Detroit Red Wings |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 102nd overall, 1977 Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| Playing career | 1978–1992 | ||
Greg Millen (born June 25, 1957 – died April 7, 2025) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was a professional goaltender for 14 seasons. Greg played for six different teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). After playing, he became a commentator and analyst. He was well-known for his work on Hockey Night in Canada. He also covered games for the NHL on Sportsnet.
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Playing Career
Greg Millen started playing hockey when he was young. He played in big tournaments in Quebec in 1968, 1969, and 1970. These were for young players in minor ice hockey.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins picked Greg in the 1977 NHL Draft. He was the 102nd player chosen overall. Before that, he played for the Peterborough Petes and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In his first year, 1978–79, he played well in 28 games. Fans in Pittsburgh really liked him.
Two years later, Greg won 25 games for the Penguins. He almost led his team to a big upset win. They nearly beat the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs. They lost the final game in double overtime. Even after playing so well, the Penguins let him leave.
In 1981, the Hartford Whalers signed him. The Penguins could have kept him, but their general manager was on vacation. So, the deadline passed, and Greg joined the Whalers. The Penguins received two other players as a trade.
Hartford Whalers
With the Whalers, Greg became the main goalie. He played in 55 games during the 1981–82 season. He also played for Team Canada in the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championships. In 1983–84, he played in 60 games, more than any other NHL goalie.
Even with Greg's hard work, the Whalers did not make the playoffs. In 1985, Greg was part of a big trade. He went to the St. Louis Blues with another player. In return, the Whalers got goalie Mike Liut and a forward.
St. Louis Blues
In St. Louis, Greg worked with another goalie, Rick Wamsley. Together, they were a strong team. They helped the Blues reach the Conference Finals in 1986. They lost to the Calgary Flames in a close seven-game series.
During the playoffs, Greg won two games against the Minnesota North Stars. He also won the series-clinching game. Then, the Blues beat the Toronto Maple Leafs. Greg was in net for that final win too. He played well in the Conference Finals.
In 1988–89, Greg had his best year with the Blues. He had six shutouts, which was the most in the NHL. He also won 22 games and started 52 games. These were all career highs for him with the Blues.
The next year, other goalies started playing more. Greg was traded to the Quebec Nordiques in December 1989. He was very sad about leaving St. Louis. His family loved living there and were involved in the community.
Quebec Nordiques
With the Nordiques, Greg did not have much success. He won only 3 out of 18 games. The team was in last place, and Greg was not happy. He told the team he did not want to stay.
In March, the Nordiques traded him again. He was part of a big trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Famous player Michel Goulet also went to Chicago in this trade.
Chicago Blackhawks
When Greg joined the Blackhawks, they had two other goalies. One of them was traded the next day. Greg played ten games for Chicago at the end of the season. He was the starting goalie when the playoffs began.
The coach, Mike Keenan, often changed goalies. Three different goalies started games that spring. But Greg played the most, with 15 appearances. The Blackhawks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Edmonton Oilers.
The next season, Greg lost his starting job. A new goalie, Ed Belfour, played almost all the games. He had a fantastic year. Greg played only 58 minutes the entire season. In September 1991, he was traded to the New York Rangers.
New York Rangers
The Rangers needed a goalie because their main player was still signing his contract. Greg was a temporary backup for the first two games. Once the main goalie signed, Greg was sent to a minor league team.
After playing five games there, Greg was traded again. This time, he went to the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings needed a backup goalie. Their main goalie was Tim Cheveldae. Other goalies they tried did not work out. So, they traded for Greg.
Greg played sparingly for the Red Wings. He made the last ten appearances of his career with them. After the 1991–92 season, he stopped playing professional hockey.
Broadcasting Career
After retiring from playing, Greg became a hockey commentator. He worked for the new Ottawa Senators team for eleven seasons. He worked with different play-by-play partners. He also covered the 1994 Winter Olympics for CTV.
In 1995, he joined the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. After a year with another network, he returned to Hockey Night in Canada in 1999. He was a colour commentator for the second game of weekly doubleheaders. He also covered three playoff rounds.
In 2007, he became part of the main broadcasting team. He worked with famous sportscaster Bob Cole. In this role, he covered the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals and 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.
In 2005, he started working for the Toronto Maple Leafs local broadcasts. By 2007, he was the main TV colour commentator for the Leafs. He worked with Joe Bowen on Sportsnet Ontario. Later, he worked only for Rogers Communications. He covered games for Hockey Night in Canada and other national broadcasts. Until his death, he mainly covered Calgary Flames games.
Personal Life and Death
Greg Millen was married and had four children. His son, Charlie, also became a goalie. Charlie played for the Orlando Solar Bears. Greg Millen passed away on April 7, 2025, at 67 years old.
