VANCOUVER – Whatever his flaws, J.T. Millerâ€s greatest strengths have long included his self-awareness and understanding that he, like all of us, could be better.
The emotional centre was so formidable on the ice with the Canucks – 11th in National Hockey League scoring from his arrival on the West Coast in 2019 until his messy departure last January – that it is questionable whether, at age 32, Miller can be a better player for the New York Rangers than he was in Vancouver.
But undoubtedly, he will be a better leader. And a better person.
Thatâ€s how you evolve when you strive to be better for those nearest to you.
J.T. Miller returns Tuesday night (Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT) as the Rangers†captain, playing in Vancouver for the first time since the blockbuster trade that was inconceivable before the Canucks†season of chaos a year ago.
“Everything happens; you can’t go back and change anything,†Miller told reporters in the visitors†dressing room after the Rangers’ morning skate at Rogers Arena. “Obviously, it’s ugly sometimes at the end. But I think for the majority of the time I was here, you know, it’s been all positive. It’s been a lot of good things. And I’m not going to sit here and dwell over the way it ended. I didn’t expect that to be pretty, and it wasn’t but, you know, definitely still a lot of friendships and a lot of good memories and a lot of good things that came from that experience, so I’m happy.â€
Miller visited with friends and former teammates during the Rangers†off-day here Monday. His wife, Natalie, and daughters Scarlett and Scottlyn have joined him from New York for the familyâ€s first visit to Vancouver since the trade that brought Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini, both currently injured, to the Canucks.
Marcus Pettersson, the matchup defenceman the Canucks acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins with the first-round pick the Rangers also surrendered for Miller, will be in Vancouverâ€s lineup and likely matching up against him.
It was Millerâ€s humanness, as well as his fierce competitiveness, that connected him to Canuck fans, and that same humanness will make it emotional for him tonight.
“Yeah, no doubt, especially with my family here,†he said. “I’m trying to stay so focused right now, but I understand there’s going to be some distractions. I’m trying my best to put this all towards the right thing. But to have my family in the building, it’s going to be a lot. I never said a bad thing about Vancouver when I left. I loved it here. It was like home away from home, and the way they treated myself and my family is something we’ll always cherish. There’s a reason the whole family came back here. It’s been a nice couple days.â€
Miller never envisioned that heâ€d return to Vancouver as another teamâ€s captain.
The American power forward joked when his friend, Quinn Hughes, was named captain of the Canucks a couple of years ago that he, Miller, was unsuitable for the job due to his emotional extremes.
But those emotions, he added, were also what made him the player he was in the NHL. And itâ€s partly why New York coach Mike Sullivan and general manager Chris Drury wanted him to captain the Rangers.
“Dru and I had a certain comfort level that at this stage in his career, he’s prepared to handle that responsibility,†Sullivan said Tuesday morning. “I think J.T. has a maturity to him right now – and he self-admittedly says this – that maybe a few years ago he didn’t. And that’s the benefit of experience.
“I think all of us, we learn through our experiences, and we become wiser versions of ourself through the process. He has a certain perspective, having been in the league now for a number of years and going through a number of different circumstances, both good and bad, and that’s how we all grow. He cares deeply about our team and the Rangers (and) he wants to win in the worst way.
“I think he embodies the identity that we’re trying to build here. I just think his presence on the bench and in the locker room has been great. The best way J.T. leads is through his example. He’s inspiring when he plays the game the way he does, with just the competitive fire and the attention to detail on both sides of the puck.â€
Sullivan said he speaks with Miller “daily†about his role and messaging for his teammates. The coach doesnâ€t want the weight of the ‘C†to burden the player.
“I feel super fortunate how it worked out, and something I’m taking a lot of pride in,†Miller said. “A lot of lessons learned here over the years. But I’m just being myself, trying to be myself every day and bring what I can on and off the ice.
“Itâ€s just something I think I’ve embraced. You know, I understand, there was a lot of ups and downs while I was here, too. It wasn’t like it was smooth sailing the whole time. I embrace who I am as a human, I like who I am as a person and as a player, and emotion comes with that.â€
With a video tribute planned on the arena scoreboard, and probably echoes of the “J.T. Mil-ler! J.T. Mil-ler!†chants that were deafening during the Canucks†playoff run two years ago, emotions will be spilling down from the stands at some point on Tuesday night.
“He’s a heart-and-soul guy,†Sullivan said, “and I’m sure Vancouver and their fan base certainly appreciates how he plays the game. It’s hard not to, as a hockey fan, the way he plays the game. Just his competitive spirit and his will to win, for me, is what draws everyone to him. So I’m sure he’ll get a very well-deserved ovation for that. It’ll be emotional for him, Iâ€m sure.â€
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