The New York Rangers are looking for answers early in the season. On Tuesday night, captain J.T. Miller is leading his men into Rogers Arena for a game against the Vancouver Canucks. While he attempts to help his team out of its rut, he is balancing a ton of personal emotion, as well.
Miller is returning to Vancouver for the first time since January. He was traded by the Canucks after parts of six seasons with the franchise to New York. He had some very good times there, but reports of locker room rifts with Elias Pettersson brought his tenure to an end. Miller spoke about his exit from the Canucks before facing Vancouver on Tuesday.
“Everything happens; you can’t go back and change anything. 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,” the Rangers captain said, via Sportsnet’s Iain McIntyre.
J.T. Miller Still Has Connections To Canucks
Brian Fluharty/Getty ImagesJ.T. Miller spent six years as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
Spending around half a decade in one place is bound to endear that place to a person. They build relationships and grow their lives in the city. Athletes get to know the fanbase, what makes them tick, and what makes them rain down boos.
Represeting a city is a heavy burden. And it’s one that is not so easy broken, even after a trade. Miller’s departure from Vancouver did come after some ugly falling outs. But he build lasting connections within the Canucks organization. Those connections remain even after the trade.
“I didn’t expect (the trade) 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,” Miller said, via McIntyre.
The Rangers captain has moved on. But that doesn’t mean this game against the Canucks is without any emotion. With so much going on, Miller is trying to keep some perspective as New York looks to get back on track.
Rangers’ Miller Focusing On Task Ahead
The Rangers are coming off an extremely lifeless loss. They fell to an equally struggling Calgary Flames team by the score of 5-1. The Rangers never really put forth a competitive effort on the road in Calgary.
New York has now lost six of their last seven games. They have a record of 3-5-2. And they have played like a shell of the team this group used to be. The emotion Miller is feeling is certainly understandable. But he’s trying to keep a level head on Tuesday night.
“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,” he said, via McIntyre.
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