It’s not exactly the end of his junior career that Montreal Canadiens prospect Quentin Miller would have hoped for.
Everything indicated that the 20-year-old goalie would end his time in the QMJHL on the biggest stage, after he was traded from the Quebec Remparts to the Rimouski Océanic last season, in anticipation of the presentation of the the Memorial Cup in Bas Saint-Laurent, next June. It was finally in the BCHL, with the Chilliwack Chiefs, that he would do it.
An injury that derails everything
Miller, a fourth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2023, was expected to be the Océanic’s starting goalie. However, a shoulder injury suffered in a preseason game last September derailed everything. Miller required surgery and at that time the prognosis was that he would miss six months of activity.
Despite everything, Miller remained optimistic of returning to play in time to help the Océanic at the end of the season, in the playoffs and at the Memorial Cup. However, given the uncertainty regarding his state of health, the leaders of the Océanic announced to him, on December 14, that they were going to turn the page and continue their adventure with goalkeeper William Lacelle.
“When I started skating with the team again, I was really hoping that they would see that I was okay. Unfortunately, I don’t control their decision and, honestly, I understand it. When they told me, it still took me a while to realize that I wouldn’t have the experience of the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, which I really wanted to have. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Play, no matter where
Due to his status as a 20-year-old player and uncertainty regarding his health, no other QMJHL team has shown interest in Miller. This is why he made the decision to leave for the West, where he will join the BCHL.
It is a caliber lower than the QMJHL but, regardless, Miller absolutely wanted to return to the game this season, especially since he must come to an agreement with the Canadian by June 1, otherwise he will become free agent.
“A lot of people said I wouldn’t come back to play this year but that was never in my plan. For me, it was clear that I was coming back. From the moment I knew that I was no longer part of the Océanic’s plans, my priority was simply to find a place to play.
The Montreal goaltender hopes to be able to return to play by mid-February.
For the Océanic, this is a hard blow since they notably sent a first and second round choice to the Remparts to acquire Miller in December 2023.
