New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller expects an emotional evening as he returns to Vancouver for the primary time for the reason that Canucks traded him final season, however neither he nor Elias Pettersson wished to debate their private feud that necessitated that commerce earlier than Tuesday’s sport.
“All the pieces occurs. You may’t return and alter something,” Miller mentioned. “It is ugly typically on the finish, however I feel for almost all of the time I used to be right here, it was constructive. I am not going to take a seat right here and dwell over the way in which it ended. I did not count on that to be fairly. And it wasn’t.”
Miller spent six seasons in Vancouver, the place he had the perfect offensive years of his profession (437 factors in 404 video games) and signed a seven-year, $56 million contract extension in 2022. However his tenure was reduce quick after a longstanding private battle with Pettersson fractured the Canucks’ locker room final season.
Miller, 32, was traded to the Rangers on Jan. 31 for middle Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a conditional first-round choose within the 2025 draft. Miller waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal, bringing him again to New York, which drafted him fifteenth total in 2011 and is the place he performed seven seasons.
He was named the Rangers’ captain previous to the season.
Pettersson downplayed the feelings surrounding Miller’s return on Tuesday, noting he already confronted him as an opponent final season — a 5-3 win by the Rangers at MSG that noticed Pettersson go away the sport with an damage after 7:50 of ice time.
Somewhat than deal with their historical past collectively, he heaped reward on Miller’s talents on the ice.
“J.T. is an unbelievable participant. He performs exhausting,” Pettersson mentioned. “If I am matched up with him tonight, I will attempt to be on the profitable aspect of it.”
Tuesday’s sport marks the primary time that Miller and his household returned to Vancouver. He mentioned they frolicked reconnecting with buddies and his former teammates — he was photographed having a meal with injured Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and head coach Adam Foote on Monday.
“I am certain for him it will likely be [emotional], Foote mentioned. “He performed a very long time right here. He performed exhausting. The followers favored him. They’re going to have a tribute for him. I am certain the followers will give him a giant cheer for certain.”
Miller mentioned irrespective of the response, it will be a poignant return to his former house enviornment. He harassed, nevertheless, that his consideration is on the Rangers, who’ve stumbled to a 3-5-2 begin beneath new coach Mike Sullivan.
“It’ll be emotional for me, little question,” mentioned Miller, who has two objectives and 4 assists this season. “Simply attempting to fret about our job at hand for the Rangers.
“We have to get a win. Now we have rather a lot to fret about on our finish right here. We’re attempting to deal with that. We have to get issues going as a bunch right here. What occurs exterior of that’s out of our management.”
That features how the scenario with Pettersson was framed by followers and media on his means out of Vancouver final season.
“I actually do not look into how I used to be painted,” Miller mentioned. “All I care about is my household. On the finish of the day, it was the perfect for either side. We’re moved on. We’re thus far previous that.”