J.T. Miller meets the media ahead of his first game back in Vancouver

J.T. Miller meets the media ahead of his first game back in Vancouver

I don’t have one. Whatever happens happens. I uh I guess just an exciting game for me and my family. So, would you be upset if Al Murdoch didn’t yell J Miller if we’re just trying to worry about the game? Hey JT, it’s a simple question, but I don’t know if it’s a simple answer. You gave your heart and soul to this organization. Fans loved you here. What was it like coming back? Yeah, like uh a lot of good memories here. Some of my best friends still play on the other side. Um, the way that the city treated myself and my family, it’s something we’ll never forget. So, like I said, the the this building in particular and a couple couple games, couple playoff series was, you know, memories that we’ll definitely remember. So, definitely special place. Is it more than just another game? Well, we have a lot to worry about on our end here. So, we’re just trying to focus on that. I’m trying my best to obviously we need to get things going as a group here for the Rangers. And whatever happens outside of that, it’s out of my control. Is there any lingering day off? How’d you approach getting through your day off yesterday? Just sort of being in the city and I just try to see as many people as I could. Uh my wife and my two daughters came so seeing friends from school and stuff and uh her old hockey teammates and stuff like that. So had some friends outside the team and then just tried to see as many of the guys as I could and got to bed early. It’s a long day. Have you I mean have you been back since you got trained? No, that was the first time. Uh yeah. So it was uh definitely brought back a lot of feelings when we when we landed at the airport for sure. I know you faced this team already once as a Ranger, but what what did what will it be like to do it in this building? Yeah, I’m it’s going to be emotional for me. No doubt. Um just trying to worry about our task at hand for the Rangers. Um you know, I know there’s that emotion is going to be there. Just trying to try to use it to the best of my ability as I can. Try to stay focused. What’s that task at hand? Just get we need to get a win. We need to play a complete 60-minute game for the Rangers and that’s what we’re worried about. And um like I said, I understand there’s going to be some emotion tonight, but my focus right now is making sure we played play the right way as a team and have a good start. Is there any disappointment in the way it ended in your left? Would you have liked it ended a different way? And everything happens. You can’t go back and change anything. Um obviously it’s it’s ugly sometimes at the end, but I think for the majority of the time I was here, you know, it’s been all positive. It’s been a lot of good things. And I’m not going to sit here and dwell over the way it ended. didn’t expect that to be pretty and it wasn’t, but you know, definitely still a lot of friendship and a lot of good memories and a lot of good things that came from that experience. So, I’m happy. Did you think you’d be coming back as a captain? Um, no. I mean, not really. No. I mean, I wasn’t thinking about it at all. Like I said, I’ve said that I feel super fortunate how it worked out and something I’m taking a lot of pride in and, you know, a lot of lessons learned here over the the years of being here and but I’m just being myself, trying to be myself every day and bring what I can on and off the ice. I know that you always talked about your emotions and and the battle to channel those and the positive work. Has that become even more important as a captain of the team? Well, it’s just something I think I’ I’ve embraced, you know, I understand. I mean, there’s there’s a lot of ups and downs while I was here, too. It wasn’t like it was smooth sailing the whole time, you know. Um, you know, I embrace who I am as a human. Um, you know, I like who I am as a person and I and a player, and emotion comes with that. Um, obviously, it’s not going to be pretty all the time, but that’s just something we got to deal with. And like I said, now I understand that there’s a little extra weight for me to make sure that I’m dialing it in on a daily basis and make sure it’s a high priority for me. And that’s what I’ve done so far. When it ended, were you painted fairly? I really don’t look into how I was painted. Like I’m worried about my myself and my family at the end of the day and where I thought, you know, where we thought was going to be the right place for me. That’s all I care about is my family. And um at the end of the day, it was the best for both sides. We’re moved on. We’re so far past that. Um like I said, we worried about the task at hand today. do something to prove here tonight? No, I’m just honestly no. I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of other people maybe, but I for me, I’m just trying to I like a lot about my game so far this season. Uh, you know, we’re having a hard time getting putting pucks in the net as a group right now, but you know, the goal is to not deviate from most of the good that we’ve done so far and we need we need a good first period today as a team and it’s really all we’re worried about. I’m sure you’ve seen video tributes that have done for guys that you’ve played alongside or been in buildings. It’s going to happen for you probably tonight. You going to take that in? Is it going to be totally? Yeah, no doubt. Especially with my family here. Um I’m trying to stay so focused right now, but I understand there’s going to be some distractions. I’m trying my best to put this all towards the right thing and and that’s like I keep going back to. But, you know, to have my family in the building, it’s going to mean a lot. And I like I said, this I’ve never said a bad thing about Vancouver when I left. I loved it here. It was like home away from home. And um the way they treated myself and my family is something we’ll always cherish. And there’s a reason the whole family came back, you know. So, we’re having a it’s been a nice couple days. How excited are you not to see Quinn tonight? Yeah, it’s great. I told him I’d rather see him yesterday than today, so it’s perfect. Uh he uh I didn’t even know he was wasn’t playing. Kind of sucks. I like playing against him. He’s obviously get a chance, but it’s definitely going to help our chances with him not on the ice. So, um you know, I uh obviously hope he gets back soon, but not too soon. You’ll play against PD tonight probably. They may hard match him against you. What that match up be like? I mean, it’s going to be like all the rest of them. You know, they have a really good line. Uh and I know that they’ve been putting some pucks in the net. So I um nothing changes for me. We have a job to do against them. You know, I’m sure it’s the same conversation. We don’t check and play the right way, it’s going to be easier on the other line.

New York Rangers captain J.T. speaks after morning skate at Rogers Arena. The forward played 404 games with the Canucks and discusses his tenure in Vancouver.

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