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Greg Millen, whose voice was familiar to a generation of Canadian hockey fans, died Monday. A cause of death was not made public. He was 67.
Millen was an NHL goalie for 14 seasons, and he was particularly popular during six campaigns with the St. Louis Blues and three with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted him in the sixth round in 1977. He was the league leader in saves as a member of the Hartford Whalers from 1982-83 through 1983-84, and his 215 wins rank 88th all-time.
Advertisement Millen’s finest season came with the Blues in 1988-89. His six shutouts that season were more than any goalie, and Millen finished fifth in voting for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top goalie. However, it was after his lengthy playing career that Millen became a household name in his native Canada.
It is with heavy hearts we share the sudden passing of Greg Millen today. He played 14 seasons between the pipes in the National Hockey League for six teams: the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings.
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pic.twitter.com/8bW05zgSx6 — NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) April 7, 2025 A successful foray into broadcasting began in Ottawa, where he spent 11 seasons as the Senators’ color commentator.
Joining the Senators for their expansion season, Millen’s transition from the blue crease to the TV booth was smooth. His contagious enthusiasm and experienced insights won favor with viewers, and network executives took notice. Millen worked the 1994 Winter Olympics for Canada’s CTV within only a few years of debuting on TV for the Senators.
Another giant opportunity beckoned, as Millen joined the CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada,” the country’s longest-running show, in 1995. Aside from a season spent with Sportsnet in 1998-99, Millen worked as part of the “Hockey Night in Canada” on-air crew for well over the next decade — rising to the role of co-lead in 2007, when he was paired with legendary late play-by-play broadcaster Bob Cole. Few Canadian hockey broadcasters could rival Millen’s visibility.
Two years before he ascended atop “Hockey Night in Canada,” Millen traded the Senators for the Toronto Maple Leafs with his regional duties. The same year he was paired with Cole nationally, Millen became the lead color commentator opposite Joe Bowen on play-by-play for Maple Leafs’ televised games on Sportsnet and Leafs TV. Advertisement More recently, Millen worked Calgary Flames games under the “Hockey Night in Canada” umbrella.
As a broadcaster, Millen covered three Olympics, two World Cups of Hockey, twelve Stanley Cup Finals, and 12 NHL All-Star games. He shaped NHL coverage for a generation of Canadian viewers. Born in Toronto on June 25, 1957, Millen spent his entire adult life as an NHL player or broadcaster.
He also co-founded the Peterborough Professional Hockey Alumni Association; Millen played junior hockey for the Peterborough Petes from 1974-77. Millen is survived by his wife and four children. (Photo: Bob Child / Associated Press).
