Resurgence honors legendary Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller

Article and photos by Elijah Robinson

Hundreds of hockey fans stood in line to meet former Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller at Resurgence Brewing Company at a release party unveiling two new craft beers celebrating his career and retirement: Milz Pilz and 391 IPA. Four packs of The Ryan Miller Mixed Pack were available to purchase, along with a signed card and poster art.

The event followed Miller's induction into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and his No. 30 being retired at KeyBank Center last Thursday.

“We wanted to get the community together, have Ryan come in and give him the send-off that we felt he deserved,” Resurgence Social Media and Marketing Manager Mya Priester said.

Resurgence Brewing Company described the beers as “391 IPA, a hazy and tropical IPA that celebrates Ryan Miller’s record 391 wins; and Milz Pilz, a pilsner with white grape and floral notes." According to Priester, Resurgence sold out of its first batch within a few days of release, and there was a waitlist of preorders for people to pick up their cans at the brewery.

Miller's Steadfast Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds.

“Ryan's immortalization into the rafters deserves to be honored in every way possible, and his work with his Steadfast Foundation should be supported. We are thrilled to work with Ryan to bring Milz Pilz and 391 IPA to life, and give back in true Resurgence fashion,” said Dan Robinson, director of sales.

Miller played 11 seasons for the Sabres after being drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. As a goaltender, he holds the franchise record for games played by a goaltender (540), wins (284) and saves (14,847). His performance during the 2009-10 season earned him the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's top goaltender.

Over an eight-year period, he played for the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks.

As the most successful American-born goalie in NHL history, Miller retired after the 2020-21 season with 391 wins.

According to Resurgence owner Jeff Ware, this was an emotional weekend for fans and former teammates as they gathered to honor Miller's legacy, and the brewery was a perfect venue for their final celebration.

“There’s a general excitement about the Sabres right now, and obviously there’s a lot of fans of Ryan Miller,” Ware said. “It was just a nice, easy way where we have the space here where you can come get a beer, meet Ryan, get an autograph, kind of share those memories that he’s made in Buffalo in the shadow of the hockey arena.”

There are already a number of locations where the beers are available, including Resurgence Brewing on Chicago Street, Consumer's Beverages, and selected Wegmans stores.

Image courtesy of Resurgence Brewing Company