Among these OMHA West teams, I had a baseline understanding of who the players were to look out for, and for the most part, there were no big surprises, but Nathan was the lone exception. While the physical tools and skating are there in his game that I could highlight, Miller stood out for his tactical handling, processing, and desire to seek controlled plays on almost every possession. He had so many moments where he showed the patience and confidence to play under pressure, relying on a clever move to pull pucks around defenders and maintain possession of the puck. Rarely did I notice Miller panic under the presence of a forechecker, but he almost always showed he could problem-solve and find a path to a controlled breakout or zone entry. Miller was the backbone of the Highlanders' transition game, helping them get out of their zone cleanly shift after shift, and was the initiator behind a lot of their scoring chances. Miller had two assists across the games I watched, one long stretch pass that sparked a goal and another where he activated to join the rush and then slipped a hook pass under a stick to the slot for his teammate to fire home. Evidently, it was a solid first impression from the Grey-Bruce defender, and I'll be really curious to see how his play keeps up, as there are plenty of signs that he's a player I'd value highly.

Miller was the lone standout on this Highlanders team back at the Titans Tournament, and this held true in the game I watched over the showcase. When he had the puck, his eyes were always up, scanning for threats and passing options and taking that extra second to make the right play. On retrievals, Nathan was always shoulder checking for oncoming pressure and gauging how much time he had to find an outlet. All of this made Miller an impressive puck mover who helped the Highlanders transition the puck with control so cleanly. Within the offensive zone, it was the same theme, as he also took that extra second to scan for options and made a few nice passes to teammates in scoring positions. Miller checks a lot of boxes for what I'm looking for in a defender, so I'll be keeping a close eye on him over the season.