Joe Miller, a native of Morrisburg, Ontario, first came onto the ice hockey scene with the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA) in 1916–17, playing 40 games for the club before heading back to Canada where he would play for seven years with Renfrew and the Ottawa New Edinburghs.

His season with Niagara Falls over, Miller was at home in Ottawa when New York Rangers goaltender Lorne Chabot was injured in the second game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Rangers coach and General manager Lester Patrick asked the Americans and the Maroons for permission to use Miller for the remainder of the series.

The Americans agreed but Montreal Maroons head coach Eddie Gerard forced Lester Patrick to play goal for the rest of that game.

[3] He was the star of the 14th Grey Cup in 1926, scoring three vital late games "rouges" (single points) and staving off two critical potential turnovers.