Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
J.T. Miller admitted he has no answers for the New York Rangers, and the captaincy talk exploded heading into the Olympic break.
After Thursday’s loss, Miller tried to sum up the message and came out with, “I literally don’t know.” He added they need to “come back with a better mindset I guess.”
That’s an honest quote, but it’s also gasoline when a team is sliding and the room looks shaken.
New York goes into the break at 22-29-6, and the vibes feel heavy even by this season’s standards.
Miller is hardly producing as he has 14G-22A-36P, despite playing the hard minutes every night, but when the captain sounds defeated, fans hear resignation, not leadership.
J.T. Miller on the message to the Rangers heading into the Olympic break:
“I don’t know. We just need to enjoy or take time – I literally don’t know. Come back with a better mindset I guess”
That’s why the second clip hit so hard. Jimmy Murphy flat out said the “C” shouldn’t be on Miller’s jersey when he returns from Milan.
It’s a brutal take, but it’s not random either. The Rangers named Miller captain in September, and expectations came with it.
J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers pressure cooker
Honestly, every quote feels like the captain shrugging while the season burns.
Here’s the thing, stripping a captaincy is a nuclear move. It rarely fixes systems, and it can split a room that’s already fragile.
Still, the captain is the voice people look for when things go sideways. “Better mindset” sounds like a placeholder, not a plan.
Miller’s game is built for ugly stretches. He wins battles, takes contact, and usually drags a line into the fight.
So the question becomes whether this was a bad moment on a bad season, or proof the leadership group is tapped out.
The Olympics complicate it, too. Milan is a dream stage, but it also creates a hard reset point for a struggling team.
If New York comes back flat again, the captaincy debate won’t be a hot take anymore. It’ll be the first real storyline after the break.
Previously on NY Hockey Insider
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Report: New York Rangers encouraged to strip J.T. Miller of his captaincy following the Olympic break
Should the New York Rangers strip J.T. Miller of the captaincy after the Olympic break?