J.T. Miller’s passion for hockey has always been undeniable. The guy clearly cares about winning.
And his obvious emotional core can prove to be a rallying point.
It was no accident that he wore an A on his sweater in Vancouver. He was a big-game player in Vancouver. He’d get you goals when you needed them. He was the definition of an on-ice leader.
But that emotional core has sometimes got him into trouble in the past. Even before he took his leave from the Vancouver Canucks last year and had his apparent falling out with Elias Pettersson, he’d tell you he knew that he’d gone too far at times.
That’s just who he is, he’d say. He’d usually try to mend fences.
Off the ice, he’s a loving father and has engaged, mostly quietly, in charitable work with children. He’s also spoken in the past about supporting everyone’s right to be who they are.
He’s self-aware and also community minded. Those are good qualities in a captain.
It always comes back to his emotions though.
Whether he can keep that emotional lid on enough is going to tested in the most ultimate fashion this season: he’s been named captain of the New York Rangers.
It’s a clear bet by Rangers management that the energy and volume he brings most days will be something his teammates can rally behind — not get tired of.
This is a choice, too. It’s not like the Rangers were short on options, even after trading their last two main leaders in Jacob Trouba, the last man to wear a C for the Rangers, and Chris Kreider, who surely would have worn a C too. The Rangers have picked Miller over the likes of Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
He’s always done well in the public facing aspects of hockey leadership and he’s sure to do fine with that as Rangers captain. But the question will be how he acts privately. How will he deal with a teammate who is having a bad game? Who has a different emotional core? Who is introverted? Whose personality is the opposite of his?
As we know, that blew up the Canucks’ room last year. He had and still has plenty of friends. But there’s no doubt that what happened here scuttled the season. Why it happened remains behind a curtain, but there’s no doubt it created a huge problem.
Presumably the Rangers will have spoken with Miller about what happened last season and got an answer that gives them no concerns about how this season might go.
Miller is a great player. He may go to the Olympics for Team USA. But his also been deemed expendable by three teams in a row — ending his first stint with the Rangers, his short time in Tampa, his six years in Vancouver.
He plays with passion. He’s also in his 30s now and very much who he is. We’ll see how this goes this time around.