Miller unsure of future with Ducks, hopes to catch Hasek on wins list

Ryan Miller said he is unsure if he will play in the NHL next season, and the Anaheim Ducks goalie hopes this season resumes so he can try to catch Dominik Hasek on the all-time wins list.

Miller, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and turns 40 on July 17, told Sportsnet there are too many unknowns regarding the coronavirus for him to commit to playing beyond this season, which the NHL paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the pandemic.

But he said he would like to continue chasing Hasek, the Hockey Hall of Famer who is 14th with 389 wins; Miller is 15th with 387. Miller (284) and Hasek (234) are first and second in Buffalo Sabres history.

"I was right there, I was really hoping I could catch Dominik," said Miller, who played his first 11 NHL seasons for the Sabres (2002-14). "That'd be something special to me because coming into Buffalo, following in his footsteps and expectations was quite a heavy thing at first, and I was happy I was able to learn how to kind of create my own space in Buffalo and play my own game and separate myself and be a different goaltender from his legacy. So definitely something that would have been fun to chase down, and I'm still hopeful that this year that can happen."

Hasek played nine seasons with Buffalo (1992-01).

Miller, the backup to John Gibson for Anaheim, is 9-6-4 with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in 23 games (19 starts) this season. Anaheim (29-33-9) had 11 games remaining when the season was paused and was 11 points out of a Stanley Cup Playoff position in the Western Conference,

Miller said he is mindful of trying to reach 400 wins, which 13 goalies have done in the NHL.

"I fell off that pace a little while ago, and I've just been trying to chip away at it, becoming a backup in Anaheim," he said in the interview that aired Sunday. "Still having fun, still enjoying going to the rink, and still very competitive. This whole situation we're all going through is definitely a curveball. … I would love to have a chance to put the gear on and give it another chance, but like everybody else we'll have to wait and see how it's going to play out."