NEW YORK (AP) — K’Andre Miller skated at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday for the first time since being traded from the Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes and acknowledged it was a little weird to be back.

Once that initial feeling passed, Miller sounded at peace with the move, enjoying a slower, more relaxed life in Raleigh than the fast pace of New York and took a chance to reflect on his first five NHL seasons with the Rangers and how it did not end according to plan.

kAm“r@?7:56?46\H:D6 2?5 ;FDE H92E x H2?E65 7C@> >JD6=7[ x H2D?’E 86EE:?8 2 =@E @7 E96 C6DF=ED x H2?E65 96C6[” |:==6C D2:5] “x 3=2>6 >JD6=7 7@C E92E] x 925 D@>6 DECF88=6D E9C@F89@FE >J J62CD 96C6] %96 FAD 2?5 5@H?D[ x E9:?<[ ;FDE <:?5 @7 E@@< 2 E@== 2?5 H2D 😕 >J 9625 7@C 2 =@E @7 E96 E:>6 x H2D 96C6]”k^Am

kAm|:==6C H2D 2 3:8 492?86\@7\D46?6CJ 42?5:52E6 =2DE DF>>6C 2D 2 ad\J62C\@=5 C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?E 5676?D6>2? H:E9@FE 2 4@?EC24E 2?5 H:E9 E96 #2?86CD 4@>:?8 @77 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C2?86CD\7:C6\4@249\A6E6C\=2G:@=6EE6\f63b2ae332c334aaa353457_c73heeegQmF?56C249:6G:?8 2?5 >:DD:?8 E96 A=2J@77Dk^2m] r2C@=:?2 82G6 FA a_ae 7:CDE\ 2?5 D64@?5\C@F?5 A:4:==:@?]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42C@=:?2\9FCC:42?6D\8>\6C:4\EF=D2?286C tC:4 %F=D:55=6 @7 9:D AC:>6 H@F=5 36 2? :562= 7:E 7@C 4@249 #@5 qC:?5Vp>@FCVD DJDE6>] p? :?;FCJ 92D :?E6CCFAE65 E92E[ 3FE :E H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9FCC:42?6D\<2?5C6\>:==6C\addgbfabdcbahfg5b5h32hae44262ab3Qm@3G:@FD 7C@> @A6?:?8 ?:89Ek^2m E92E |:==6C H@F=5 5@ ;FDE 7:?6]k^Am

kAm“w6 4@F=5?’E 92G6 A=2J65 >F49 36EE6C 2E E96 DE2CE[” qC:?5Vp>@FC D2:5] “xE’D E96 C2?86] xE’D 9:D D<2E:?8 23:=:EJ] (6 >:89E 36 2=>@DE 3FC?65[ 3FE H6 4=@D6 :E @77 3642FD6 H6 8@E EH@ 6IEC2 766E @7 C6249] p?5 E96? 9:D D<2E:?8 23:=:EJ 7:ED A6C764E=J 86EE:?8 FA E96 :46 2?5 5@:?8 6G6CJE9:?8]”k^Am

kAm|:==6CVD 23D6?46 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9FCC:42?6D\:?;FC:6D\8@DE:D3696C6\e6_e6ed763he574d35d_b5_ge5bff2aaQm:D @?6 @7 E9C66k^2m @? E96 wFCC:42?6DV 3=F6 =:?6[ H9:49 😀 2=D@ >:DD:?8 D9FE5@H? 5676?D6>2? y244@3 $=2G:? 2?5 @776?D:G6\>:?565 $92J?6 v@DE:D3696C6]k^Am

kAmqF>>65 E@ >:DD E96 7:CDE 82>6 2E 9:D @=5 9@>6 2C6?2[ |:==6C 😀 6I4:E65 E@ C6DF>6 A=2J:?8 D@@? H:E9 E62>>2E6D H9@ BF:4<=J >256 r2C@=:?2 766= =:<6 9@>6]k^Am

kAm“(6’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 8FJD H9@ E9:?< 23@FE E96 82>6 2E 2 G6CJ 9:89 =6G6=[” |:==6C D2:5] “%92E’D 366? 6J6\@A6?:?8 E96 =2DE 4@FA=6 @7 H66 C62==J 3C62<:?8 5@H? A=2JD] x E9:?< E96C6’D 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 DECF4EFC6 E@[ x 8F6DD[ E96 E62>’D 8@2= 😕 36EH66? E96 H9:DE=6D 2?5 E9:?8D =:<6 E92E E92E 92G6 >256 >J 25;FDE>6?E C62==J 62DJ]”k^Am

kAm|:==6C >256 E96 =628F6VD p==\#@@<:6 E62> 😕 a_a`[ E96? H2D A2CE @7 }6H *@C< C6249:?8 E96 A=2J@77D E9C66 J62CD 😕 2 C@H 7C@> ‘aa\’ac[ H:E9 2 A2:C @7 EC:AD E@ E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 7:?2=] w6 2G6C2865 >@C6 E92? a` >:?FE6D 2 82>6 — ab 😕 E96 A@DED62D@? — 2?5 36=:6G6D ?@H 96 >2?2865 E92E H@C<=@25 H6==]k^Am

kAm“x 925 2 AC6EEJ E@F89 ;@3 6G6CJ ?:89E 8@:?8 FA 282:?DE E96 @E96C 8FJD’ E@A =:?6D[” |:==6C D2:5] “w25 2 =@E @7 >:?FE6D[ 2 3:8 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ] x E9:?< @G6C2== x 92?5=65 :E AC6EEJ H6==] xE’D 2 E@F89 ;@3 A=2J:?8 96C6[ 2?5 @3G:@FD=J x H2?E65 E@ H:? 96C6 2?5 5@ H92E6G6C x 4@F=5 E@ 96=A E96 E62> 5@ 8@@5[ 3FE H6 ;FDE 42>6 FA D9@CE H96? :E >2EE6CD]”k^Am

kAm|:==6C 😀 ?@H E2D<65 H:E9 ECJ:?8 E@ 96=A E96 wFCC:42?6D 86E @G6C E96 9F>A 27E6C =@D:?8 @?6 C@F?5 D9@CE @7 E96 $E2?=6J rFA u:?2= EH@ @FE @7 E96 A2DE E9C66 DAC:?8D] %96C6VD 2 =@?8 H2J E@ 8@[ 3FE G6E6C2?D DF49 2D $62? (2=<6C 92G6 366? :>AC6DD65 3J 9@H D62>=6DD=J |:==6C 92D 25;FDE65 E@ 2 ?6H 8C@FA]k^Am

kAm“yFDE DF49 2 8@@5 D<2E6C[ C2?8J[ 3:8[ >2<6D 8@@5 564:D:@?D 2?5 H2?ED E@ A=2J 72DE[” (2=<6C D2:5] “(92E H6 H2?E E@ 5@ ?:89E :?[ ?:89E @FE[ x E9:?< 96 7:ED E96 >@=5 C62==J H6==]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.