Miele and his mom were on their way to Boston to watch the March 28 matchup against the Bruins as a birthday celebration when he spotted a familiar face.
It was McDonagh, flying out a day late to join his team at TD Garden.
Miele decided to approach the veteran blueliner to introduce himself and tell him about his birthday plans.
Meeting a player on your birthday would be a good enough present for anyone - but McDonagh had a better gift in mind for the 17-year-old fan.
"He was super kind and respectful," Miele said. "I got an [Instagram message] from McDonagh saying 'We want to see you at warm-ups, we have a surprise for you.'"
Before the game, security escorted the Mieles down to the visitor's locker room.
Miele admittedly had no idea what to expect, until another familiar face came out to tell him the news.
"John Hynes came out and said, 'Hey bud, you are going to read the lineup tonight,'" Miele said. "Just hearing that from the head coach's perspective, that was unreal."
The big moment finally arrived. To calm his nerves, Miele tapped into his musical theatre roots.
"My legs were shaking the entire video… But that's where the acting comes into play" Miele said. "[I felt] like the coach for 20-30 seconds."
Miele called out the names of some of his favorite players and, for good measure, gave starting goaltender Juuse Saros a handshake and a pat on the back.
