Miami University (OH) has produced plenty of NHL talent throughout its 47-year history, and a handful of its alumni have gone on to reach the sport’s pinnacle.
Here’s a look at the six former RedHawks who’ve hoisted the Stanley Cup.
Dan Boyle (1 Stanley Cup)
A standout two-way defenseman, Dan Boyle won his lone Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Known for his puck-moving ability and power-play game, Boyle played more than 1,000 NHL games and also won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2010. He spent time with the Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, and New York Rangers during a long and successful NHL career.
Boyle played four seasons at Miami under head coach Mark Mazzoleni from 1994 to 1998 and served as an alternate captain in his final season. He racked up 147 points in 148 NCAA games.
He was named to the NCAA (CCHA) All-Rookie Team in 1994-95 and earned back-to-back NCAA (West) First All-American Team honors in 1996-97 and 1997-98. In his junior year, he was also named the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player.
Boyle went on to have an outstanding pro career. His NHL totals include 1,093 games played, 163 goals, 442 assists, and 605 points.
Dan Boyle, Tampa Bay Lightning (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
His mighty list of professional accolades include: American Hockey League (AHL) All-Rookie Team (1998-99), AHL All-Star Game (1998-99, 1999-00), AHL Second All-Star Team (1998-99, 1999-00), NHL Playoffs Most Points by a Defenseman (2004), NHL Second All-Star Team (2006-07, 2008-09), NHL All-Star Game (2009, 2011), NHL Playoffs Most Assists by a Defenseman (2011), NHL Playoffs Most Points by a Defenseman (2011), Olympic Gold Medal with Team Canada (2010), and World Championship Silver Medal (2004-05).
Boyle retired after the 2015-2016 season as a Ranger, capping off a great career.
Kevyn Adams (1 Stanley Cup)
Kevyn Adams played at Miami from 1992 to 1996, appearing in 159 games over four full seasons and becoming one of the program’s early stars. He played alongside Boyle for two seasons and suited up under two different head coaches at Miami. George Gwozdecky was his coach for his first two seasons before leaving to take the University of Denver job, where he stayed for 19 seasons and won NCAA championships in 2004 and 2005. Adams then played his final two seasons under Mazzoleni.
Adams was drafted in the first round, 25th overall, by the Boston Bruins in the 1993 NHL Draft. A skilled center with high hockey IQ, he led Miami in scoring in each of his final three seasons and served as team captain in 1995-96. He earned NCAA (CCHA) Second All-Star Team honors in 1994-95 and finished his RedHawks career tied for seventh in school history in goals (69) and fourth in points (172).
His contributions helped Miami earn its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1993, and he was inducted into the RedHawks athletic hall of fame in 2011.
Adams went on to play more than 500 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. His biggest moment came in 2006 with the Hurricanes, where he won the Stanley Cup while serving as one of the team’s dependable two-way forwards.
Kevyn Adams, Buffalo Sabres GM (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Adams moved into management after retiring in 2008 with Chicago. Since 2020, he has served as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, where he currently faces the task of rebuilding a struggling franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011.
Jeff Zatkoff (1 Stanley Cup)
Jeff Zatkoff played three seasons at Miami University from 2005 to 2008, appearing in 100 games, leading the RedHawks to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances under then-head coach Enrico Blasi. He became the program’s primary goaltender during his sophomore and junior seasons, posting a .931 save percentage (SV%) in the 2007-08 season, which ranked among the best in the nation. That season, he was named to the NCAA (CCHA) First All-Star Team and the NCAA (West) Second All-American Team.
Zatkoff was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round, 74th overall, of the 2006 NHL Draft. After leaving Miami, he began his professional career in the Kings organization, spending several seasons in the AHL developing his game.
He later signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he made his NHL debut in the 2013-14 season. Zatkoff played an important depth role for Pittsburgh in the 2015-16 season, starting Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Rangers and earning the win. Though he was the team’s third goaltender for much of the postseason behind Marc-André Fleury, he was part of the Penguins’ roster that went on to capture the Stanley Cup that season.
Zatkoff is the only former Miami goaltender to have won the Stanley Cup. Over his NHL career, he appeared in 48 regular-season games, posting an 18-21-4 record with a 2.89 goals-against average (GAA) and a .908 SV%, also appearing in two playoff games. He went 1-1 in those, posting a 0.908 SV% and a 3.07 GAA.
Zatkoff retired after the 2019-20 season with the Straubing Tigers in Germany’s DEL, capping off an up-and-down career that saw him play in all three North American professional leagues and even overseas.
Reilly Smith (1 Stanley Cup)
Reilly Smith played three seasons at Miami University from 2009 to 2012 under Blasi, developing into one of the program’s most dynamic forwards. As a freshman, he helped Miami win the 2009-2010 CCHA Regular Season Championship, contributing important offense in the team’s run to the NCAA Tournament. Smith elevated his game in 2010-11, earning NCAA (CCHA) Champion honors and a spot on the NCAA (CCHA) First All-Star Team.
During his junior season in 2011-12, Smith served as Miami’s captain and produced one of the best offensive seasons in school history. He repeated as an NCAA (CCHA) First All-Star Team selection, was named to the NCAA (West) First All-American Team, and became a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Over his three seasons in Oxford, Smith played 121 games, scoring 66 goals and adding 56 assists for 122 points.
After leaving Miami, Smith quickly moved up the professional ranks. He was named AHL Rookie of the Month in December 2012 before establishing himself as a reliable NHL scorer. His career has included stops with the Dallas Stars, Bruins, Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Smith’s biggest moment came during the 2022-23 season, when he helped lead Vegas to its first Stanley Cup. In Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, Smith and fellow former RedHawk Alec Martinez each scored in under two minutes to extend the Vegas lead to 4-1 over the Florida Panthers. Smith’s goal was the Cup-clinching goal, sealing the first-ever Stanley Cup for the Golden Knights franchise.
Through 1,036 career NHL games played, Smith has put up a total of 636 points over 15 seasons, and holds the record of most playoff points (83) of any former RedHawk after the 2025 postseason.
Smith is still active and will be with Vegas for the 2025-26 season after signing a one-year, $2 million contract this offseason. He has bounced around the NHL during his career, but on a powerhouse team like Vegas, he has a strong chance to lift another Stanley Cup.
Blake Coleman (2 Stanley Cups)
Blake Coleman spent four seasons at Miami University from 2011 to 2015, following an outstanding career in the USHL (United States Hockey League). He was part of the 2012-2013 RedHawks team that won the CCHA Regular Season Championship and played an important role in Miami’s transition to the NCHC under Blasi.
In his senior season (2014-2015), Coleman served as an alternate captain and led the RedHawks to the NCAA (NCHC) Championship. He was named to the NCAA (NCHC) All-Tournament Team and earned Tournament MVP honors.
That squad remains the last Miami team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, falling in the regional semifinal in a wild 7-5 loss to Providence, a game where the RedHawks nearly pulled off an incredible comeback in the third period. Since that season, the program has struggled to return to that level of national relevance.
Coleman’s style has always been defined by physicality. After making his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils in the 2016-17 season, he was with the Devils for three-and-a-half seasons before being traded in February of 2020 to the Lightning. That move set the stage for back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, first in the COVID “bubble” season of 2019-20, then again in 2020-21. During the 2020 playoff run, he led all players in hits with 126.
Internationally, Coleman also captured a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
Blake Coleman, Calgary Flames (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Now entering the 2025-26 season, Coleman is an alternate captain with the Calgary Flames, a role he also held last season. He’s signed through the 2026-27 campaign, providing veteran leadership to a rebuilding team. Across 10 NHL seasons, Coleman has played 689 games, recording 321 points, and has plenty of career still ahead of him.
Alec Martinez (3 Stanley Cups)
One of the most well-known former RedHawks, Alec Martinez, has won the Stanley Cup three times, twice with the Kings (2012, 2014) and once with the Golden Knights (2023). He holds the distinction of having the most Stanley Cups of any former RedHawk.
Martinez is best known for his famous double-overtime Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2014 that lifted the Kings past the Rangers in Game 5.
That postseason, he also scored the overtime winner in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, sending the Kings to the Final.
Before his NHL success, Martinez played three seasons at Miami from 2005 to 2008 under Blasi, where he totaled 67 points in 123 NCAA games.
He scored many memorable goals as a RedHawk, including the final goal at the old Goggin Ice Arena in March 2006 against Western Michigan, and the overtime winner in the 2008 CCHA Semifinals.
He was drafted in the fourth round, 95th overall, by the Kings in 2007. Across his NHL career, Martinez played in 862 regular-season games, tallying 88 goals and 201 assists (289 points), and added 14 goals and 23 assists in 131 playoff games. In the AHL, he suited up for 163 games with the Manchester Monarchs, putting up 20 goals and tallying 49 assists.
Martinez officially retired as a Blackhawk on April 12, 2025, wrapping up a career that spanned more than 1,000 professional games.
Miami’s Legacy Looking Forward
When looking at the 2025 state of the program, second-year head coach Anthony Noreen has said many times he wants to put Miami back on the map and fill the walls of Goggin Ice Center with more NHL names.
Related: Miami RedHawks Offseason Update With Head Coach Anthony Noreen
With the number of talent arriving this season and more on the way, it feels like this program is finally heading back in the right direction.
