Tough Guys by Dale Arnold

Author:Dale Arnold
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Triumph Books
Published: 2023-08-03T08:03:23+00:00

Chapter 8

Jay Miller

I’M SITTING ON THE PATIO behind the sprawling clubhouse of the Sacconnesset Golf Club in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Directly below me is a bird’s-eye view of the 18th green, and to my right is a pond with a dory tied up in the middle of it, as part of the first tee. Former Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings forward Jay Miller suggested we meet here for lunch to renew our acquaintance and talk about his National Hockey League career. He’s already called and told me he was running late but to grab a table and order whatever I want for lunch.

Miller limps in about 15 minutes later (he is three months removed from a left knee replacement), and it’s obvious that he is a regular. Mary, our server, greets him like an old friend and, without being asked, sets a can of Coke in front of him. They tell me they’ve known each other for more than 30 years, and there is an obvious affection between the two. It isn’t until 30 minutes have passed that I learn Miller isn’t just a regular—he’s a minority owner of Sacconnesset. It’s only a small part of Miller’s impressive post-playing career empire.

Jay and his wife, Paula (née Pirini), are the owners of the Courtyard Restaurant and Pub in Cataumet. Trust me, the list of successful restaurants owned by former professional athletes is unfortunately short. But the Courtyard has been going for 25 years. (The pan-seared scallops with spinach risotto are superb!) In a lot of ways, Miller’s restaurant success stems from principles established in his successful NHL career—work hard, never give up, do the job, move on.

Miller was a fourth-round draft choice (66th overall) of the Quebec Nordiques in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. But the Nordiques were upset that Miller was unwilling to sign and turn professional and quickly soured on his major league capabilities. He had just finished his freshman year playing for Charlie Holt at the University of New Hampshire, and he wanted to get his college education. In fact, he played at UNH for four seasons and was able to get a three-game stint with the Fredericton Express of the American Hockey League at the end of his college career.

But for Miller, it felt like the writing was on the wall.

“Quebec let me go, and I was kind of kicking around a couple of minor league teams, just trying to catch on. I fought a couple of times, but I really didn’t do very well. It just wasn’t my bag. I just didn’t get mad enough. I figured I was already at the end of my hockey career, and I was ready to fall back on my business degree. I wasn’t making very much money, and I didn’t think I was very good.”

It was the advice of one of those minor league coaches that likely changed the course of Miller’s career—and perhaps his life.

“I was playing for the Mohawk Stars, and [coach] Rick Ley said to me, ‘Jay, I just saw you beat up one of the toughest guys down here.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.