JT Miller spills the tea on Canucks' 'ugly' exit after being traded to NY Rangers

JT Miller is adjusting well to his return to the New York Rangers after he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in January. The veteran striker, now Rangers captain, spoke about how things ended in Vancouver, stressing that he has chosen to focus on the positives.

“Everything happens (for a reason),” Miller said Tuesday via Rangers reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano. “You can't go back and change anything. Obviously, sometimes it's ugly at the end, but I think for most of the time I've been here, it's been positive.”

He added that he still values ​​the friendships and memories from his years with the Canucks.

“It's been a lot of good things,” Miller said. “I'm not going to sit here and watch it end. I didn't expect it to be pretty, but there's definitely still a lot of friendships and a lot of good memories and a lot of good things that came out of that experience. So I'm happy.”

Vancouver moved him after reports surfaced of a strained relationship between him and his former teammate. Elias Pettersson. The situation took a toll on the locker room, and eventually the team decided it was best to split up.

After the Cacnucks' 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars in February, Pettersson was asked about the issue, but kept his answer short.

“All we can do is look forward,” Pettersson said, via NHL.com.

Miller has started the 2025-26 season on a consistent note, scoring two goals and adding four assists for six points in 11 games.

He was drafted No. 15 by the Rangers in 2011. He is in the third year of a seven-year, $56 million contract that keeps him with the team through the 2029-30 season.

JT Miller grateful for warm ovation from Canucks fans in Vancouver

JT Miller received a warm welcome on his return to Vancouver on Tuesday as fans cheered him on at Rogers Arena. The New York Rangers captain expressed gratitude for the support during his first game against the Canucks since being traded in January.

After Rangers' 2-0 win, Miller admitted the moment meant a lot to him and his family.

“It's just surreal” Miller told reporters. “So glad my kids were here today and my wife. It means a lot to me.”

He called Vancouver a “hockey crazy city” and said his time there will always be a special part of his career.