Mike Sullivan, the coach of the Rangers, now has a captain who is ready to discuss the Vancouver chapter, which has been re-opened by J.T. Miller.
Two years after the Miller-Elias Pettersson feud captivated the NHL locker rooms, Miller eventually spoke about it in front of the public.
While Miller was swinging, Paul Bissonnette made a joke about him at a Spittin’ Chiclets golf event: “I’m being harassed more than Petey on the Canucks.”
Petey is insane during my backswing, Miller retorted, still driving the ball straight. “I went to treatment for that,” he said after that.
Since Miller’s absence from Vancouver in 2024 has never been completely disclosed to the public, the line was created. Patrik Allvin stated that Miller was “seeking help,” but the Canucks cited “personal reasons” for the incident.
Miller also informed the producers that there was no need to edit the interaction, transforming what may have been a throwaway golf-course chirp into his most explicit public admission of that section.
Finally, Miller discusses the effects of Vancouver.
Miller returned in December after missing ten games while on leave. Questions about his relationship with Pettersson kept mounting at the time, and the organization kept the information private.
“I think all of us are dealing with things,” Pettersson said sparingly in public. The tension persisted for both players throughout the season, and the uncertainty never went away. (
Jim Rutherford finally addressed the rumors by stating, “People who do this for enjoyment or for a livelihood, simply go back to inventing trade rumours.”
Rick Tocchet afterward acknowledged that efforts had been made to address the problem. “I hear folks on podcasts say that they have to have supper and battle it out.
“Don’t you think we attempted all of those things? It simply didn’t work.” “I’m not sure whether there’s a villain in the story,” Tocchet added. “It just didn’t work out.”
Pettersson was left behind as the Canucks went on without one of their most prominent personalities, putting an end to the collaboration when Miller was sent to the Rangers by Vancouver by January 31, 2025.
Miller later called the season “exhausting” and “a year I’d like to forget about.” Now, he’s ready to recognize the incident rather than just bury it, as evidenced by his golf-course response.
Still, the entire account has not been revealed. But by saying this much with the cameras on and no request to cut it, Miller is once again bringing attention to the Vancouver fallout.
