Here's more on how the Capitals winger came to be one of the NHL's more unique personalities.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano is by no means your typical hockey player. In fact, among all the NHL's skaters, he's perhaps the most unconventional, from his wild mane of hair to his medallion necklace to his quick hands.
The 27-year-old is open about it, admitting that he's one of the league's more off-the-board presences on and off the ice.
"I guess I'm a little different," Milano puts it.
That individuality has put Milano on the board since he was taken 16th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, and though he likes to stand out, he isn't actively seeing the attention that comes with it — nor does he try to.
Even now, as we talk by his stall at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, he looks down, rubbing his shoulder and shying away from the attention.
"I wouldn't really say I'm an outgoing kind of person," Milano said. "I don't really like the camera on me or anything like that stuff."
When it comes down to it, though, different's a good thing for Milano and his teammates. It's a refreshing change from the day-to-day norm of the hockey world, and it also helped him climb the ranks as a kid from Long Island to a top-6 NHLer and fan favorite.
"He's one of the more interesting men I've ever met," Beck Malenstyn added, with stall mate Lucas Johansen chiming in, "That's one way to put it."
For Milano, he's always been that way. Growing up in Massapequa, Milano started skating at the age of two, taking after his sister, who was a figure skater. But, when it comes to the "out there" plays that he makes on the ice today, Milano credits playing street hockey and the makeshift rink his parents helped build for him in his basement.
Downstairs, Milano would try-of-the-ordinary plays and make YouTube videos showcasing his stickhandling ability. One of them ultimately won him a free pair of skates from Bauer and also caught the attention of scouts.
"I always tried weird, different things, and I think now it just comes naturally," Milano said.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a1AG6_DJGc[/embed]
That unique playing style helped Milano rise through the ranks quickly, and even though he failed to make the cut for the U.S. National Team Development Program the first time around, he ended up skating with them and making waves as a top prospect who was ultimately taken 16th overall in 2014.
And, fast forwarding to now, that one-of-a-kind style helped him secure a top-6 role with the Capitals and a longer-term stay in the District after he'd originally been given a one-year "prove it" deal as he remained unsigned through a strange 2022 offseason.
His teammates couldn't be more happy to have him in the mix.
On the ice, he's an x-factor and able to read the ice well and balance his unique style with the systems set in place. Through 13 games this year, Milano has two goals and three assists, including points in two of his last three games.
Beyond the scoreboard, though, the 6-foot, 194-pound winger will aim to do at least one unique thing with the puck each game, whether it means showing off some quick stickhandling, batting the puck out of mid-air or setting his teammates up with bank passes off the boards.
"He's not afraid to try some things. Obviously, he's flipping the puck up sometimes and making some pretty cool plays, I think. The more I got to know him, the more I realized how smart he is about the game," linemate Dylan Strome said. "I think maybe he doesn't lead that on as much until you get to know him a little bit more. I think he's really smart about hockey. He knows situational-wise what to do with the puck and how to be successful. It's a fun guy to play with because I feel like we read each other well."
And for Milano, he's just doing his job in the only way he knows how to do it, and it's all just part of his nature.
"Not really trying to be fancy or anything; it’s just instinct, you know?" Milano said.
Off the ice, he's a breath of fresh air, one who's unabashedly himself and spends his free time exploring exotic locations and trying new things.
And that's exactly what his teammates love about him.
"He's just his own person. Maybe it's not like the prototypical hockey player... He's just himself. I think nothing's wrong with that," Strome said. "Everyone, once we got to know him, everyone's really fond of him. He's a funny guy that has his own style, and he rocks it."
"Sonny lives a pretty cool life, travels in the summer and things like that," Malenstyn added. "He's got style down to something I'll never be able to pull off; I would say he's unique."
At the end of the day, Milano's just being Sonny.
"Probably a couple [things I do out of the norm]," Milano said, then grinned, "Nothing weird for me."