How did Greg Millen die? Cause of death explored as beloved goalie and broadcaster dies aged 67

Modified Apr 09, 2025 19:09 GMT

St. Louis Blues v Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Getty

Greg Millen, a former NHL goaltender who turned to broadcasting, died on Monday. While Millen's cause of death was initially undisclosed, The Peterborough Examiner's Mike Davies reported on Tuesday that Millen died of a heart attack.

“Greg Millen, 67, died Monday morning of a heart attack, the Examiner has confirmed,” Davies reported.

Sportsnet posted its condolences for Millen on Instagram.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1977, Millen played between the pipes in the NHL for 14 seasons with six teams, including a six-year run with the St. Louis Blues. He led the league in saves with the Hartford Whalers for consecutive seasons from 1982 through 1984. After retiring from the NHL, Millen landed a broadcasting spot covering Ottawa Senators games during the team’s inaugural season in 1992-93.

Continuing to showcase his passion for the game and warm personality, Millen became a color commentator for "Hockey Night in Canada" and Sportsnet. He also covered three Olympics and the Stanley Cup finals 12 times.

Born in Toronto, Millen became a popular and longtime resident of Bridgnorth, Ontario. He played for the Peterborough Petes from 1974 through 1977 and was well-known throughout the community. In 2014, he earned a master's degree in leadership from the University of Guelph in Ontario. He later began teaching leadership classes at Fleming College in Peterborough.

Millen is survived by his wife and four children.

Outpouring of condolences for Greg Millen

Players and coaches around the league and Greg Millen's former teams have paid tributes across social media.

The NHL Alumni Association stated on X (formerly Twitter) that everyone loved Millen in broadcasting.

“He was known and loved by all in the broadcasting world!” the NHL Alumni posted on X. “Millen has covered three Olympic Games, two World Cups of Hockey, twelve Stanley Cup finals, and twelve NHL All-Star games.”

Expand Tweet

The Penguins, who drafted Millen in 1977, also showed their support:

Expand Tweet

The St. Louis Blues also shared their condolences for their former goalie.

Expand Tweet

About the author

Sharisse Cohee is an NHL and PWHL journalist at Sportskeeda with an associate degree in Media Communications with an emphasis in Cross-Media Journalism. While earning the degree, Sharisse was the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and also became the school's resident sports reporter.

Sharisse earned a bachelor's degree in English from Arizona State University's online campus, graduating with magna cum laude honors. Both degrees influenced her career as an NHL and PWHL writer, allowing Sharisse to weave together her passions for writing and sports.

Sharisse was a sports copywriter/editor at The Upper Deck, a trading card company in Southern California, for two and a half years. She wrote creative and informative copy about hockey players and athletes from various sports, printed on the backs of the trading cards.

Her favorite teams are the Anaheim Ducks, because she was born and raised in Southern California, and also the Pittsburgh Penguins because Sidney Crosby is her all-time favorite NHL player.

When not writing about hockey, Sharisse loves fantasy sports. She plays in hockey, basketball and football fantasy leagues. She lives in San Diego, California, so has the luxury of going to the beach often. She also enjoys working out and watching true crime documentaries, game shows, and binge-worthy TV series.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Ribin Peter