Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Jaromir Jagr, Dave Maloney, and Ryan McDonagh are some of the legendary hockey players to have had the distinct honor of serving as the New York Rangers’ captain.
J.T. Miller joined this historic list of players after being named the Rangers’ 29th captain in franchise history prior to the start of the 2025-26 season.
“It means a lot, I have a lot of pride towards it, something I didn't know I was going to get,” Miller said. “I've come a long way in my career in a sense of my game and leadership, and feel very lucky to be rewarded with something like this at a place like New York.”
Miller is a different kind of player compared to some of the Rangers’ captains of the past, which is why Miller was such an intriguing pick by Chris Drury and Mike Sullivan to represent the Blueshirts.
The Rangers were in desperate need of a culture change, as the team was in an identity crisis following a disastrous 2024-25 campaign.
That’s why the Rangers chose Miller to wear the C on his jersey. The 32-year-old is the kind of player who plays with a fiery energy that is simply contagious.
Miller is blunt, emotional, and is not afraid to speak his mind or deliver a big hit. He certainly does not shy away from all of these traits; in fact, he fully embraces the kind of person and player that has helped him reach this point.
“My game wasn't going to change no matter what letter was on my jersey,” Miller emphasized. “I think that in my career, I pride myself on bringing my game style almost all the time. Nobody's perfect, but I think you can lead it the best way by your performance on the ice, and then also have the leadership to address the team and address your linemates and be there for people. I just feel like it takes a lot of learning and being a sponge over the years. I feel super fortunate that they believe in me.”
What you see is what you get with Miller. When Drury and Sullivan chose Miller to be captain, they weren’t expecting a cleaned-up version of him; they didn’t want Miller to change any aspects of his game or how he conducts himself as a leader.
Upon making the decision, the coach and general manager preached that they wanted Miller to be himself despite becoming captain.
That message meant a lot to Miller, who’s finally being shown the respect and admiration he deserves.
“I mean, that meant the world to me,” Miller said of Drury and Sullivan’s belief in him. “I can ride the high emotion wave sometimes, but they understand that, and they want me to embrace who I am, and for that to come from them meant the world. This has to be a partnership between the whole thing. For them to believe in me, have faith that they trust in who I am as a person, it means the world. That meant the most to me when they said, just be yourself.”
Last season, J.T. Miller went through a lot while with the Vancouver Canucks.
A reported feud between Miller and Elias Pettersson spread like wildfire within the Canucks organization, and a lot of scrutiny surrounded Miller’s name.
Miller took a ten-game leave of absence early on in the 2024-25 season, and even when he returned to the lineup, his numbers took a drastic dip, and all the noise around the team certainly didn’t make matters any better.
The aftermath of this whole situation saw Miller traded to the Rangers, the start of a new and prosperous era for him.
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“Just feel super grateful that things worked out the way they did,” said Miller. “Last year was a hard year for me personally. It just feels like a fresh start. To have it with an Original Six (team), I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
From being drafted by the Rangers in 2011, things have really come full circle for Miller. It took many hardships and some triumphs for Miller to achieve this great honor, and he learned a lot of lessons along the way.
All of the challenging times in his career have led him to this moment, and he appears to be more than ready for the challenge of holding the captaincy of one of the most prestigious franchises in NHL history.
“It’s all learning along the way. It’s not supposed to be pretty all the time,” Miller said. “I just think how you handle things when you are younger, it's effective for comparing you when you're older… I just feel super lucky to be rewarded with something like this, and that's such a special group of people and organization.”