Bo Horvat comments on the "rift" between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- There's a rift going on inside the Vancouver Canucks locker room between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. 

The team has tried to put a lid on it, but the Canadian media and NHL insiders have commented on its toxicity and effect on Vancouver as a whole. 

It sounds like if things don't clear up, one of the two could be on the move. 

Who better to ask about that than former Canucks captain and current New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat, who played with the two.

'It's definitely [been blown out of proportion]," Horvat told The Hockey News on Thursday morning. "It's always a tough market that way. Any little piece of information gets magnified in those situations, right? But I mean, that comes with the territory. It comes with playing there.

"The fans are passionate about their team. It's basically the only huge sports team besides the BC Lions and the White Caps. That's what Vancouver is all about, is the Canucks. So every little thing that's going on in that dressing room or going on with the team, it's gonna get magnified, for sure, and that just comes with playing there."

Horvat continued: "Unfortunately, you're gonna be on both sides of it, right? It's not always gonna be sunshine and rainbows. There's not always gonna be good things said. It's gotta be a tricky situation. It's gotta be tough. But if any two guys, or if anybody can handle it, those guys can."

The season that Horvat was named captain of the Canucks was also Miller's first season in Vancouver after the team acquired him from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2019 NHL Draft. 

"Miller and I got along great. There's gonna be times when you're gonna cuss each other out. There's gonna be times when you're not gonna like somebody, but at the same time, you respect everybody," Horvat said. "You're all friends in there, you're all teammates, and you're all fighting towards the same goal. Are you gonna get along all the time? No, but at the same time, he and I had a good relationship. Same with me and Petey"

"I was captain there, so it was my job to keep everybody even keel and to make sure everybody got along and that the team was fighting for the same thing, for the same goal."

Horvat and Miller may have gotten along on the ice, but a contract decision by the Canucks in 2022-23 certainly took its toll on now Islanders' No. 14. 

There's no question that Horvat wanted to stay in Vancouver, but general manager Patrik Allvin had a choice to either offer his captain or Miller a long-term extension, and he chose to go with Miller. 

"I was never mad at him. Honestly, the way it was all handled is what I was most upset about," Horvat said. "They said one thing, and they did the complete opposite. It's just frustrating when you are told one thing, and the opposite happens. That's not to say I'm not happy where I am right now. 

"Obviously, I love Long Island, love being here, and I'm happy to be here, but, yeah, just the way it was all handled rubbed me the wrong way. But at the same time, everything happens for a reason, and that's why I'm here. I couldn't be happier."

Regarding Pettersson, Horvat played quite a bit with him in BC. 

"He's so good. He's got such skill and such poise with the puck," Horvat said. "He's good at both ends of the rink. I think that's what gets underappreciated. He's good defensively. He's obviously got a lethal shot that I think he should still utilize a little bit more than he does because he throws goalies off. So he's a special player, and they're lucky to have him."

Despite the trade rumors, Pettersson just signed a long-term extension, as he's in the first season of an eight-year deal worth $11.6 million annually. He's an elite talent that's lost a bit. 

“He needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations, and it does not get easier. And you need to face the music when things don’t go well,” Allvin said. "Is it (a trade) possible? I guess I would say anything is possible." (H/t THN Vancouver). 

Horvat would certainly be open to a reunion with Pettersson.

"Oh god, yeah," Horvat laughed. "He's a special player. He's a really good person. He's a special player that I respect a lot. I've had a lot of good success with him, too, in the past. But yeah, if I get a chance to play with him again, I would love to. We could use him."

For the Islanders to acquire Pettersson, Vancouver native Mathew Barzal would likely have to be included or some trade involving Noah Dobson, picks, and prospects.

Then again, the Islanders didn't give up much when they acquired Horvat on Jan. 30, 2023, sending Vancouver top prospect Aatu Räty, Anthony Beauvillier, and a conditional first-round pick.

One has to think that Allvin believed that Räty would develop quicker than he has and that Beauvillier, a former first-round pick, could figure things out, which he did not. 

Listen. Crazier things have happened.