La Jolla Week Athlete: Hockey player Oliver Miller scores his goals on the ice

Oliver Miller is known in hockey as a hockey dog. He devotes much of his weekly schedule to ice and cultivates a love of hockey that he has had since childhood.

La Jolla Country Day School junior is currently playing Anaheim Junior Ducks, a youth hockey club that makes him travel to Irvine three times a week for rehearsals after school, as well as games on weekends in various locations, sometimes even in Canada, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Oliver, 16, joined the team this year after playing for several years San Diego Saints hockey club. Many of its players move to Junior Ducks or Los Angeles Junior Kings.

Oliver has also played hockey at the 2019 Maccabi Games, which he says are the Jewish Olympics.

He said his normal position is forward, usually playing on the right or left side.

The coach of the Saints, Josh Robinson, said Oliver was the leading scorer each year, which Robinson considered Oliver to have speed, vision and strong skating skills.

He’s a fun, competitive player, Robinson said.

He said Oliver isn’t afraid to be the first on the puck, and he loves getting the puck and playing with it. … He’s not afraid to get his nose dirty.

Oliver Miller, pictured at the California Amateur Hockey Championship earlier this year, says I’m just free when I play hockey.

(Ethan Overman)

Oliver has been playing hockey since the age of 5, encouraged by his father Craig. He’s from Detroit, Oliver said of his father. He loved hockey as a kid, still loves hockey so much, so he really wanted to get me into it from an early age.

Oliver said he learned to skate on the Westfield UTC skating rink and play for different children’s teams before staying with the Saints.

When I play, I’m just free and I don’t have to worry about stress or anything, he said. It makes me feel happy.

He enjoys fighting the game, which has also taught him some life lessons, he said. It certainly teaches you how to be a teammate and a good leader, and also helps you cope with difficult situations. It just teaches you that you have to work hard and get there.

In addition to his skills on the ice, Robinson said Oliver was one of the most popular and beloved in the locker room among his holy teammates, and he voted him captain during the final years of his tenure.

Oliver said it made him feel good because … all the kids on the team voted. It’s hard to become a leader of your peers when they’re all the same age and about the same skill level, so it’s really an achievement.

When he’s not skating, Oliver surfs or plays basketball or soccer with friends or family.

I definitely want to play hockey in college and play in the U.S. Hockey Association or the North American Hockey Association, two higher-level junior leagues, Oliver said.

My goal is to go as far as I can, he said. I want to take it because I love it.

The La Jolla Week Athlete has athletes from all high school sports (La Jolla High, The Bishops School, La Jolla Country Day School) and other local youth sports. Looking not only for competition stars but also for student athletes who set an example of teamwork, academic achievement, and / or community involvement. Email your nomination and way to reach your candidate to journalist Rob Vardon at [email protected].