NHL Legend Wayne Gretzky Makes Strong Statement on Hurricanes' K'Andre Miller
Rod Brind'Amour and his Carolina Hurricanes have been dominant during the 2026 NHL playoffs. Led by Frederik Andersen's third shutout of the playoffs, Carolina defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Wednesday night. Montreal could only muster three total shots on goal for the entirety of the third period, with Canadiens fans desperately chanting, "Shoot the puck!" midway through the third.
K'Andre Miller is a large reason for the Canes suffocating the Canadiens' offense. The 6-foot-5 defenseman logged the most ice time among all Carolina defenders in Game 4 (24:41), even more than the vaunted Jaccob Slavin (19:41). Miller had a team-high four blocked shots on the night, along with an assist.
On the "NHL on TNT Postgame Show," the legendary Wayne Gretzky had high praise while discussing Miller's contribution not only to the game, but to the playoffs overall. Gretzky bluntly stated that Miller is playing as well as he has ever seen a defenseman play in the playoffs. The Great One gave quick praise to Miller's offense before highlighting his defensive efforts, comparing him to a brick wall.
Gretzky holds the all-time NHL records for playoff career goals (122), assists (260) and points (382), so he knows firsthand what it means to play well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Gretzky has also seen a lot of playoff hockey, as he is tied for 17th with Pittsburgh Penguins great Jaromir Jagr for all-time playoff game appearances (208).
"...Defensively, K'Andre Miller is playing as well as I've ever seen a defenseman play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is just solid offensively, but defensively, nobody can get around him. He's like a brick wall, and when he's not out there, Slavin is..."
K'Andre Miller's all-around performance powered the Hurricanes to a Game 4 victory in the Eastern Conference Final. #StanleyCup
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 28, 2026
: Game 5 @CanadiensMTL vs. @Canes TOMORROW at 8p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @Sportsnet, & @TVASports!
Read more on the defenseman https://t.co/qWCKNWh4zu
Carolina is now ahead 3-1 in the Eastern Conference finals and will look to close out Montreal on Friday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh at 8 p.m. ET.
Related: NHL Makes Frederik Andersen Announcement After Hurricanes Win Game 4
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 6:31 PM.