NHL News: Rangers captain J.T. Miller breaks silence on return to Vancouver with clear message for Elias Pettersson’s Canucks

J.T. Miller’s return to Vancity has all the ingredients of must-see television in the NHL. As the New York Rangers take on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, the new captain in The Big Apple voiced a bold message about matching up with Elias Pettersson and his former teammates.

Miller and the Canucks will meet for the first time since March 22, when Vancouver travelled to the concrete jungle in Manhattan. This time around, however, it will be the Rangers captain who plays on the road. As he enters Rogers Arena, the fan reaction to the former Canuck is up in the air.

It didn’t take long before Miller was asked about facing off against Pettersson, who he might come across several times at the dot. On that note, the Rangers captain didn’t put much thought into the drama-filled personal matchup.

“[Matching up against Pettersson] is going to be like all the rest of them. That’s a really good line, I know they have been putting some pucks in the net,” Miller noted. “Nothing changes for me. It’s the same conversation, if we don’t check and play the right way, it’s going to be easier for the other line. So, just like any other game.”

Elias Pettersson at Climate Pledge Arena on March 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

The way it is

Last NHL season, the buzz around Miller, Pettersson, and the Vancouver Canucks became extremely invasive. Once drama reached its boiling point, there wasn’t much Vancouver could do but split up the two players. As a result, Miller was sent back to the Rangers. Asked on whether he had any regrets, Miller delivered a straightforward message.

see also

NHL News: Elias Pettersson drops stern comment on reunion with J.T. Miller during Canucks-Rangers showdown

“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, it was a lot of good things. I’m not going to sit here and dwell over the way it ended,” Miller admitted. “I didn’t expect that to be pretty. Definitely, [taking] a lot of friendships, good memories and good things that came from that experience.”

No grudge

Some believe Miller is coming into the game with a chip on his shoulder, but the Broadway Blueshirts’ skipper dismissed such claims, voicing a composed statement.

“I really don’t look at how I was painted [by media]. All I care about is my family, At the end of the day, it was the best for both sides, we moved on,” Miller added. “We’re so far past that. No, honestly no. [I don’t have anything to prove tonight]. I like a lot about my game so far this season. I never said a bad thing about Vancouver when I left, I loved it here. It was like home away from home.”

Either way, the table is set for an electric showdown between the Canucks and Rangers, where neither side is willing to give an inch to the other. Only two points may be on the line, but morale could truly swing for the rest of the NHL season.