Michael_leighton_puckSource: AP, Mel Evans

It seems we may have helped contribute to NHL linesman Steve Miller's removal from playoff duty. Our video, which was posted at the end of January, featured clips taken from YouTube showing Miller as the person who picked up Patrick Kane's Stanley Cup winning puck.

Our motive was simple: When a Chicago bar, Harry Caray's Restaurant, offered a $50,000 reward for the missing puck, we thought we would clear Chris Pronger as the "suspect" (again, it's a puck). In doing so, we found videos which seemed to show Miller as the one who picked it up. Last week, Wayne Drehs of ESPN.com cited our video in a lengthy Outside the Lines piece about the puck. Last night, Bob McKenzie of TSN, who also cited our video along with the ESPN article, wrote about how Miller has been taken off active duty for the playoffs:

"We do not know where the (missing) puck is and Steve says he does not know where the puck is," NHL spokesman Gary Meagher told TSN. "We 100 per cent believe Steve and we fully stand behind him. But in the best interests of the league, and Steve, we felt the best course of action for everyone was to take him off his assignments at this time."

 

Oops.

In making the video, my intent was never to get anyone in trouble. It was simply to find out if Pronger had the puck. It kind of took on a life of its own after that. It was fairly obvious – and has been confirmed by the FBI with "100% certainty" – that Miller picked up the puck. Miller, however, denies ever seeing it. You can read all about it here, if you haven't already.

Carry on.

UPDATE 1: Steve Miller has been re-assigned to the playoffs.

UPDATE 2: Last night CBC released video which CLEARLY shows Miller picking up the puck, yet Miller denies ever seeing it. Odd. Here's the video– around the three minute mark.