Graham Millar had a lot of fun scoring his first Western Hockey League goal.
The Penticton product plays for the Saskatoon Blades and registered the point on the power play on Oct. 5 in a 5-3 win against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
“It was crazy. Kind of a gift,” said Millar. “The goalie just passed it right to me.”
Millar, who dressed for three games as an affiliate player with the Penticton Vees over two seasons, now has two goals and four points in 13 games and is minus-five. Scored has given Millar the confidence that he can fill the net. Millar said each day he’s getting more comfortable with the league and is working hard to not be a liability on the ice.
“It’s been so much fun, hard, but we’re getting better every day,” said Millar, who put up seven goals and 15 points in 34 games last season with the Okanagan Rockets in the B.C. Major Midget League. “We had a rough start and now we’re .500.”
Undrafted, Millar was listed by the Blades during the fall of 2011-12 and attended two camps. In preparation for this year’s camp, Millar attended the BCHL Alberni Valley Bulldogs training camp. Millar said he knew who he was up against so it gave him an idea of how he would do at Saskatoon’s camp.
In making the jump from major midget, Millar said time with the puck is limited as players get on the opposition quickly.
“It’s more physical, everybody is faster,” said Millar, who won a peewee Tier 2 provincial championship with Penticton.