- J.T. Miller addressed the month he spent away from the Canucks in 2024
- The line landed as a chirp about Elias Pettersson during a golf round
- Read below for the video and what Vancouver said at the time
J.T. Miller finally put a name to the month he spent away from the Vancouver Canucks.
The Rangers captain played the latest Sandbagger Scramble episode of Spittin’ Chiclets alongside Vincent Trocheck and Mark Pysyk. Paul Bissonnette waited until Miller was mid-backswing to needle him about Elias Pettersson, and Miller fired back without missing the fairway.
“Petey in my backswing is crazy. I went to rehab for that.”
Everyone on the tee box lost it. Miller then told the producers they could leave the line in, so he wanted it out there.
Catch the exchange here:
Vancouver never explained the absence. Miller stepped away after a 5-3 loss to Nashville on Nov. 17, 2024, missed 10 games, and returned Dec. 12 against Florida. The club said only that he was dealing with personal matters.
Then-general manager Patrik Allvin spoke about it roughly a week into the leave.
“First and foremost, I’m very proud of J.T. seeking help. I believe that he’s going to be a better person, better teammate and better hockey player when he returns.”
Postmedia reported at the time that the absence had nothing to do with alcohol or substance abuse. Patrick Johnston of The Province added Thursday that whatever treatment Miller sought did not run through the NHL and NHLPA player assistance program.
Rumors filled the silence anyway, which pushed team president Jim Rutherford to step in that December.
“Don’t start making stuff up about someone in his situation. That’s disrespectful.”
Rutherford also said the Canucks had no intention of trading Miller. Eight weeks later they sent him to New York.
Almost everyone tied to that room has scattered since. Rick Tocchet turned down an extension and coaches Philadelphia now, Quinn Hughes was traded to Minnesota midway through last season, and Pettersson remains in Vancouver after another quiet year.
Watch the full round:
Miller wears the C in New York these days and sounds a long way removed from that winter. Nearly two years later, one chirp on a golf course pulled more out of him about the Pettersson mess than a full season of Vancouver media scrums ever did.
