Miller: 'Nothing bad to say' about Canucks
J.T. Miller reflected positively on his tenure with the Vancouver Canucks as he braces to face his former club for the first time since being traded to the New York Rangers in January.
"I don't want to get into too much detail, but, yeah, I think a fresh start was needed," Miller told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "I've got nothing bad to say about the Canucks or Vancouver as a city. We loved it there. It felt like home, and that's all you can ask for. But, unfortunately, this is a business and in the business end of things, it was getting difficult."
Miller was dealt after a reported rift between him and Elias Pettersson took over the club during a difficult start to the season. Canucks president Jim Rutherford said prior to the trade that the drama was hurting the team and there were no good solutions to the issue.
"The whole me-and-Petey thing, it's still blown out of proportion," Miller said. "I get what Jim was doing. I have a ton of respect for Jim, and I talked with Jim after that (story). I wasn't mad; I understand everybody has a job to do. Clearly, if me and Petey were better than we were, obviously this might be different. But it's also not as bad as everybody thought either. It's just an easy thing for everybody to run with. There was just a lot of moving parts."
Miller racked up 437 points in 404 games for Vancouver and was a key piece in helping the club win the Pacific Division in 2024. The 32-year-old said the fans' passion during last year's playoffs - the Canucks reached Game 7 of the second round - are some of the fondest memories of his career.
"They created a lot of special memories for me and my family, especially in the playoffs last year," he said. "I have three young children and one of their favorite memories was the fans chanting my name, probably something I'll never get back. But their honesty, their passion ... I feel like I pride myself on a lot of the same things (the fans) do. They're obsessed with their hockey there and obsessed with their team, and they're always blunt. Not to like that would be pretty hypocritical."
Miller has recorded 18 points in 20 games since rejoining the Rangers, where he started his career. Saturday's clash against Vancouver is important for both clubs, as they're within striking distance of the final wild-card seed in their respective conferences.