Where Are They Now - Brian McMillin

                                                                   

Brian McMillin won three championships in Allen and was the CHL playoff MVP in 2013

Today we continue the "Where Are They Now" series by catching up with Brian McMillin who spent five seasons with the Allen Americans and was part of three championship teams. Brian grew up in Roseau, Minnesota and married his high school sweetheart, Wendy. Brian and Wendy are back in Roseau and today is a reminder of what it is like living in northern Minnesota. I just checked the weather and the high today in Roseau is going to be -22 and the low tonight will be -36. Throw in a wind forecast of 16 MPH and you have wind chills of -65 to -70. Brian loves ice fishing but I am pretty sure he will stay inside the next couple of days. By Thursday the high is forecast to be a balmy -5.

I was always impressed with how much of a team Brian and Wendy were and attributed it to the fact that Wendy was a great athlete in her own right. She played hockey in college.  By the time she completed high school she had been selected all conference in hockey and softball, she was captain of the hockey team as a Junior and Senior, was selected as an academic all American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, won the Hobey Baker Character Award which is presented to a player on each high school hockey team in Minnesota. She is a member of the Roseau High School Hockey Hall of Fame. The first story I ever wrote about a hockey wife was about Wendy McMillin back in 2013.  It is a great read about growing up in a small town in northern Minnesota, how Wendy and Brian met, playing college hockey and the start of their ventures in pro hockey. It is called, "Hockey Wife and Sports Star", https://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/wendy-mcmillin-hockey-wife-and-sports.html


As with most professional hockey players, Brian was a standout in high school and was a big time scorer. As the senior captain of his team he had 59 points (27 goals 32 assists) in 30 games. After receiving a scholarship from Colorado College he quickly learned his key to playing time as a freshman was checking, defensive play and as a penalty killer. In fact, his first shift as a collegian was as a penalty killer on a five on three power play.  Brian had a successful four year career on the ice at Colorado College but also excelled in the classroom graduating with a 3.75 GPA and a degree in Mathematical Economics. He received numerous scholar-athlete awards including being named to the academic all conference (WCHA) team twice and in 2010 was chosen as the top student-athlete in men's varsity sports at Colorado College.

Brian's professional hockey career took him everywhere from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Coventry, England to Dijon, France but he will always be remembered as a three time champion with the Allen Americans. Only three players have five or more seasons in Allen. Brian and Jarret Lukin played five seasons and Spencer Asuchak is in his sixth season.

Brian's hallmark as a professional was his consistency, hard work and playing smart. By his own admission he didn't have the high end talent of some players so he had to earn everything he accomplished.

The highlight of McMillin's hockey career would have to be the first Allen championship in 2013. Brian had a good regular season with 30 points (15 goals 15 assists) in 58 games but exploded in the playoffs. In the opening round against Denver, Brian carried the Allen offense, scoring five of the team's 18 goals. In the semifinals against Missouri, a seven game series, McMillin had a goal  and four assists in the first six games and in the deciding seventh game he was a catalyst with a pair of goals. In the finals against Wichita, another seven game series, Brian once again led the team, scoring goals in games two, three, four and six.

Brian finished the 2013 playoffs with 12 goals, three more than any other player, he was second in points (20), fourth in plus/minus (+8) and first in game winning goals (3) including the game winning goal in games two and four in the finals. For his effort he was voted the playoff MVP.

At the time (2013) coach Martinson had this to say about McMillin, "I am happy for Brian McMillin being selected MVP. His perseverance and work ethic has really paid off for him. He doesn't complain, he works hard and quietly goes about his business. He is a great example for others."

Here is a video where you can relive the 2013 championship. This is the best championship video ever. I still get chills watching this video.

Playing in Europe was always part of the plan for Brian and Wendy and it was the reason they didn't return to Allen year after year. Here is how Brian described it, "Europe was somewhere we had wanted to go for years. Everywhere you go a famous city or historical site is just a train ride away. If you enjoy traveling it is an amazing opportunity as you basically get paid to play hockey and see the world. We definitely feel we made the most of our time overseas."


Here are a few quotes from Steve Martinson about Brian McMillin that are taken from stories I wrote in the past.

 "With Brian you always knew what you were getting on the ice. You could put him out in any situation. He always worked hard and worked smart. He was definitely a glue guy on the team."

 "Brian really stepped up and led the team during the 2013 playoffs. During most of his career he was in a defensive role playing against the other team's top line and killing penalties. But players like Brian who were big time scorers when they played youth/high school hockey never lose the confidence in their abilty to score when given the chance. That is what happened in the 2013 playoffs. Brian was given more ice time including on the power play and he responded. He wasn't afraid to use his size in front of the net and he was a fierce shot blocker."

"Brian McMillin is a glue guy who understands our system. He leads by example and does everything you ask him to do. He makes our team better. Brian will help our overall team defensively. He was our top defensive player last year and will help at both ends of the rink. He is a leader by example. We will have a lot of new forwards this year. Having Brian makes my job easier as he understands all of our systems and will help our new players make the transition."


Brian played five seasons in Allen but several of them were partial seasons which impact his all-time stats. His first season (2010-11) he arrived in Allen in December after starting in Kalamazoo, in 2013-14 he started in England and didn't arrive in Allen until the end of December and in his last season in Allen (2014-15) he broke his knee cap in half blocking a shot in December and missed the rest of the season. With that said here is how McMillin ranks all-time. Brian is #6 all-time in games played (215), #10 in goals (53), #14 in assists (73) and #12 in points. Brian was part of three championships (2013, 2014, 2015) and was the playoff MVP in Allen's first championship in 2013.


Here is an update from Brian in his own words:

Can you give us an update on you and your family?
I retired after playing the 2015-16 season in Dijon, France. Wendy and I moved back to the hustle and bustle of our hometown, Roseau, MN, population 2700. A little different than living in Allen but we have settled back in and are enjoying ourselves. I am starting my third year as a financial advisor for LPL Financial and am enjoying my work. Wendy is working from home as a financial analyst for Markel Corporation, which is the job she had when we were in Allen. Her home office is at Legacy West in Plano and she will actually go in to work for a couple of days while we are in town for the alumni game.

Brian and Wendy on a recent trip to Iceland

What involvement do you and Wendy have in hockey?
Neither of us have gotten involved in coaching but we get out to watch most of the high school boys and girls games in town, as well as a handful of youth games watching friends and relatives. We also try to catch a couple of  college and NHL games with Winnipeg, University of North Dakota and Bemidji State all within a couple of hours of Roseau. I am currently skating with a handful of former college and pro players twice a week and we have a big old timers tournament in town each March that I play in with all my old high school buddies. Wendy skates when she can but they have had trouble getting enough girls to skate regularly so she will jump on the ice with us as well. 


What are your hobbies/interests now that you no longer play professional hockey?
Most of our hobbies revolve around the outdoors. Just like in Allen, I spend most of my free time hunting, fishing or golfing. Up here the golf season is a little shorter though! More time for hunting so I don't mind it. Wendy took up golf last year and could probably beat both of the Ludwig twins already as she is doing pretty well. As much as we like it here we really enjoy traveling and try and go on a couple of trips a year as well as frequent weekend road trips to different places in the area. 

A November, Minnesota whitetail buck - It was 19 degrees with a 15 MPH north wind

Can you share something about your experience playing in Allen?
We absolutely loved our time in Allen. I can't imagine a better city or setup for a minor league hockey team. Allen has great fans, an awesome facility, and many local perks. The weather is obviously a huge plus and you can find just about any restaurant or shop in the area. 


What is your fondest memory of playing in Allen?
Five years and three championships with one team makes for a lot of memories! Each championship is special in its own way but obviously the first one was a fun run for myself and the organization. After having a couple of really good teams come up short, to finally win in 2013 and in the fashion we did (game seven in overtime) was a pretty incredible experience.


Who were your favorite/closest teammates in Allen? 
I got to play with a lot of really good, fun people in Allen. Some were there for a short period of time and others I played with for four years but we all made a lot of memories that I still look back on and laugh about today. I definitely miss spending time with the boys and, as long as a few of the bus trips lasted, some of our best times came on the road in the middle of nowhere.


Do you plan on attending the alumni game in February?
We wouldn't miss it!  


   

DID YOU KNOW:  If the Allen Americans ever presented a Lady Byng trophy which is presented each year to the National Hockey League player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability it would certainly go to Brian McMillin. Brian never took a bad penalty and in his career with Allen scored more goals (68 between regular season and playoffs) than he had penalty minutes (49).

Brian played five seasons in Allen