K’Andre Miller made a notable debut with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in Raleigh. Miller, who was acquired from a division rival and signed to a long-term contract extension, joined the team after recovering from major offseason surgery and without the benefit of preseason games.
Despite these challenges, Miller delivered an impressive performance in front of more than 18,000 fans at PNC Arena. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour praised Miller’s immediate impact: “I thought he was exceptional. Take the goals away, even, he was impactful,” Brind’Amour said after Miller scored two goals. “He hadn’t played a game for how many months? He stepped right in and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Obviously, we’re pretty excited to have him.”
Miller became only the third defenseman in franchise history to score multiple goals in his debut and the first to do so in nearly 32 years. Reflecting on his first game with the Hurricanes, Miller said, “It was kind of weird. Obviously, there’s some adjustments and in-game stuff that I was just trying to figure out on the go. I didn’t have any preseason games, so this was my first real look with the team. Once I got adjusted and found the speed of the game, I felt great. It was fun.”
His initial goal came as he managed to get a shot past New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer despite pressure at the blue line. The second goal showcased his powerful shot and gave Carolina their first lead of the third period.
The power-play goal by Miller’s unit also marked an improvement for Carolina’s second power-play group. Last season, this unit had struggled for production early on but matched last year’s total after less than 50 minutes of play this season.
Seth Jarvis, who also scored twice in the game, commented on Miller’s debut: “Can’t get much better than that, I don’t think,” Jarvis said. “Two quite different goals, but you could tell from the first time he stepped on the ice at training camp that he’s a special player. And he’s still young, so I can only imagine the levels that he’s going to get to.”
Miller credited his teammates for helping him adjust quickly: “That was one of the biggest things, just making a good first impression. I think the guys have done an amazing job of just getting me caught up to speed, and this adjustment period has honestly been very simple. Very easy,” he said. “All the guys are pushing me in the right direction, so that’s been great.”
Taylor Hall also noted Miller’s fit with the Hurricanes’ style: “Key was a beast,” Hall said. “I think he’s going to fit in so well here with how we play and just how he moves. The skill he has, the reach, the length, he’s such an effective player that I think is going to do really well in our system and with the players that we have.”
Miller played over 19 minutes and led all players with 31 shifts during his debut.
