Introduction
Parker Milner (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL while under contract to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Milner had a standout collegiate career with Boston College, winning the NCAA Frozen Four and 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament finals in Tampa, Florida. Boston College coach Jerry York, listed him among elite Boston College goaltenders Scott Clemmensen, Cory Schneider and John Muse.
Milner has also become an occasional writer for Vox Media's Easter, often writing both regarding the Charleston area and on road games to local restaurants relative to the venue of the game.
Playing career
Amateur
Milner first played with the Waterloo Blackhawks in the United States Hockey League. He was the Blackhawks Most Improved Player in the 2008–09 season.
As a junior, playing collegiate hockey with Boston College in the Hockey East, Milner overcame a midseason slump to help his team win the Beanpot (ice hockey) trophy.He had a 25–5 record and a .931 save percentage during the regular season. Milner helped lead his team to a 19-game winning streak including championships at the Beanpot (ice hockey) tournament and the 2011-12 National Championship final.
He was named to the 2012 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament all tournament team. He was named defensive player of the week February 20, 2012. Milner was also named to the 2011 Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team after Boston College won its third Ice Breaker title by defeating North Dakota 6–2 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Professional
Undrafted, on June 30, 2013, Milner signed a one-year American Hockey League contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, an affiliate of the New York Islanders.He started the season with the Sound Tigers but was later reassigned to the Stockton Thunder, the Islanders' ECHL affiliate.
On August 19, 2014, Milner signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.
On July 2, 2015, Milner returned to the Sound Tigers of the AHL, agreeing to a one-year contract as a free agent.
As a free agent the following season, Milner joined his third AHL club, in agreeing to a one-year contract with the Hershey Bears on July 7, 2016.
During the 2018–19 season, his third season within the Washington Capitals system, with AHL contracts, Milner was signed to his first NHL contract, agreeing to a one year, two-way deal for the remainder of the season with the parent club. Signed to add an organizational depth in preparation for the playoffs, he was assigned to continue playing in the ECHL with the Stingrays, the ECHL club in the Capitals system.
Having provided the additional depth to the Capitals, Milner continued within the organization in agreeing to a one-year AHL contract with the Bears on May 28, 2019.
Personal
Milner is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During the 2010 offseason, Milner and two other Freshman hockey players (Philip Samulesson and Patrick Wey) were involved in an accident when the SUV they were passengers in was hit by a trolley close to the South Street T-stop near Boston College.Players were treated for minor injuries.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T/OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2008–09 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 31 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 1758 | 85 | 3 | 2.90 | .902 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 7 | 0 | 3.99 | .860 | ||
| 2009–10 | Boston College | HE | 14 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 801 | 31 | 0 | 2.32 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Boston College | HE | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 380 | 17 | 1 | 2.68 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Boston College | HE | 34 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 2055 | 57 | 3 | 1.66 | .937 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Boston College | HE | 37 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 2212 | 98 | 2 | 2.66 | .911 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Stockton Thunder | ECHL | 25 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 1478 | 70 | 2 | 2.84 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 387 | 19 | 0 | 2.95 | .904 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Quad City Mallards | ECHL | 43 | 24 | 14 | 3 | 2497 | 95 | 2 | 2.28 | .920 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 222 | 7 | 0 | 1.89 | .926 | ||
| 2014–15 | Iowa Wild | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10.43 | .778 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Missouri Mavericks | ECHL | 26 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1549 | 56 | 3 | 2.17 | .925 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 179 | 7 | 0 | 2.35 | .920 | ||
| 2015–16 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 276 | 14 | 0 | 3.05 | .906 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 43 | 26 | 14 | 2 | 2520 | 114 | 1 | 2.72 | .900 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 1409 | 54 | 3 | 2.30 | .919 | ||
| 2016–17 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 232 | 11 | 0 | 2.84 | .913 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 362 | 23 | 0 | 3.81 | .865 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 38 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 2191 | 68 | 3 | 1.86 | .929 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 273 | 7 | 0 | 1.54 | .926 | ||
| 2018–19 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 40 | 19 | 17 | 3 | 2342 | 115 | 1 | 2.95 | .912 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 329 | 15 | 1 | 2.74 | .914 | ||
| 2018–19 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 7 | 0 | 2.28 | .931 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 29 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1453 | 76 | 0 | 3.14 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Hockey East All-Tournament Team | 2012 | |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2012 | |
| ECHL | ||
| Goaltender of the Year | 2017–18 | |
| All-ECHL First Team | 2017–18 | |
| All-ECHL Second Team | 2019–20 | |