WICHITA, KS – They say the clothes don’t make the man. However, in this case, we beg to differ.
Wichita Thunder’s defenseman Daniel “Stylin” Milan has a unique way of fulfilling a dream of helping our nation’s heroes by marketing streetwear suited to his own urban style.
“Starting from a young age I’ve always looked up to those who’ve served,” said Milan. “They’ve been through things I hope I never have to experience. The idea of selling Stylin Milan gear and donating the money to our nations heroes just seemed like the perfect thing to do. Homes For Our Troops is one of the charities that benefits our heroes the most.”
A native of Detroit, Milan was the first player from the Michigan high school hockey system to make the jump directly to a Major Junior hockey league team. “The concept of Stylin Milan actually started in high school,” Dan recalls. “I’ve always been into fashion and dressing different, so taking that into consideration I needed a nickname for some skits that my high school teammates and I were creating.” Now Stylin Milan gear is catching the attention of hockey fans as far away as Pensacola, FL.
After attending a Tampa Bay training camp in 2011, Milan was signed by the Lightning to a three-year, entry-level contract as a 19-year-old undrafted free agent. In 2012 Milan skated for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades in his first pro season. In 43 games he scored 2 goals with 7 assists and was +5 with 56 penalty minutes. But Dan’s most productive season came in 2014-15 after being loaned to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, where he put up 17 points (1G/16A) and 178 PIMs and adapted the slogan “Stoppin’ pucks and throwin’ knucks”. 
Having played out his original three-year entry-level contract with Tampa Bay, he became an unrestricted free agent and re-signed for a second season with the Thunder.
“I definitely feel at home in Wichita playing for a coach (Kevin McClelland) who appreciates my style of play as a puck moving, shut-down, agitating defenseman,” said Milan. “Playing with such a great group of guys is a huge plus; everyone on this team is a good person and I wouldn’t hesitate sticking up for a single guy. I want to be the best at my position to not only help the team win but move up as well.”
Milan’s streetwear benefiting Homes For Our Heroes can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LiveFastGraffix
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