The 2025-26 NHL season has been anything but positive for J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and the New York Rangers. However, the 2026 Winter Olympics break gives them a chance to escape the harsh reality in the Big Apple and chase a gold medal with Team USA.
As the two veterans settle into their new home for the next few weeks in Milan, a curious dilemma has emerged for the longtime friends and teammates. Contrary to Team Canada, the American hockey team has decided to stay at the Olympic village in Milan, rather than leave for a five-star hotel. In the words of several players on Team USA, they want to live “the full experience”. Still, some veterans on the team have been given some privileges of their own.
As Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported, Team USA veterans, like Trocheck and Miller, didn’t have to have a roommate in the Winter Olympics. While the two Rangers forwards are close friends, they chose to have some privacy of their own in Milan. Asked about the decision to go solo, Miller needed five words to make his point.
“We spend enough time together,” J.T. Miller admitted. Miller had been living with Trocheck for a while after being traded from the Vancouver Canucks back to New York. This time around, they are going in different directions, though they are most likely to have their rooms set close to one another. In the Olympic Village, players don’t have to clean up after their dishes, but even without those potential sources of conflict, Miller and Trocheck are still not sharing a room.
Vincent Trocheck at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Hidden message to Rangers
While Miller’s message seems like just a funny remark as the Rangers’ captain gets to enjoy hockey for the first time amid a dramatic NHL season, it can also be interpreted as a subtle warning to the Rangers. On the other hand, if Miller had chosen to be roommates with Trocheck, some in New York might have seen it as a farewell tour for the duo, who may be playing their final games together—both for Team USA and the Rangers.
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After trading Artemi Panarin away, the spotlight is now on Trocheck, who is widely viewed as the biggest trade chip New York owns. On that note, the Rangers may be facing a trade threat from the New York Islanders.
Whether he is ultimately sent to Long Island or elsewhere, Miller’s stance is clear: he doesn’t want Trocheck to leave. Where Trocheck stands on his future, however, is another question. As much as his friendship with Miller may play a role, it may not be enough for Trocheck to turn down a chance to pursue the Stanley Cup with a contender.
