While all eyes are on the Philadelphia Flyers to see if they will make it to the playoffs for the first time in years, their minor league club is looking to do the same. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are fighting to stay in the playoff race and currently have one of the final spots. To help their chances, they bolstered their roster with the signing of Matt Miller, a forward who recently played for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He is signed to an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season, but will play the remainder of this year on a PTO.
Big time congrats to Matt Miller on signing with the @LVPhantoms!
— Omaha Hockey (@OmahaHKY) April 4, 2024
The two-time alternate captain racked up 38 goals and 33 assists in 127 games in an Omaha sweater. In four seasons, Miller totaled eight game winning goals which was tied for the most among all active Mavericks.… https://t.co/HawTnZNEUm pic.twitter.com/0a1YtYeIjK
Miller is 24 years old and has never been drafted by an NHL team. He's not exactly a flashy player, but he has been around the block some.
Miller first played for Victory Honda in the Under 18 circuit of the EHL. He didn't distinguish himself as a star player but wasn't a liability on the ice. After playing for Honda, he graduated to the USHL and the Sioux City Musketeers for three seasons before playing for the Lincoln Stars.
By this time, Miller had hit the college ranks. He had four seasons for the Mavericks at the Univ of Nebraska-Omaha. The school had a few prospects playing for them, but the team did not reach the NCAA Hockey Tournament this year. They fell in the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional semifinals to Minnesota. They finished the year with the second most wins in program history, going 23-13-14. This season, Miller scored seven goals with 13 assists in 37 games, good for seventh on the team. In four seasons, he put up 38 goals and 33 assists in 127 games. He has briefly spent time on the US National team in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Miller may not light the lamp often, but he has experience. He could be a late bloomer. If anything, he is a good depth piece for the Phantoms as they move into the AHL playoffs. With an AHL contract, it's nothing ventured, nothing gained. If the Flyers brass sees something in him, he could be around. If not, he will be depth for the Phantoms.