J.T. Miller has been through a lot over the course of his career, but now he’s the captain of the New York Rangers.
For Miller, It’s an honor that he could have never envisioned when he was first with the Rangers to start his career, but he admitted that leadership has always been a part of his DNA.
“It’s been a special couple of days for my family for sure,” Miller said about being named captain. “It was ingrained from me from a young age what it means to be a captain around here and I’m just super lucky and thankful to represent the group.”
Despite his leadership role changing, Miller doesn't anticipate making any adjustments to the way he leads or his game as a whole.
Chris Drury and Mike Sullivan want Miller to be himself, and that’s exactly what he plans to do.
“I just don't want to overthink it. I want to be me,” Miller said. “I’ve been given a lot of good advice from Mike and Chris about how we want you to be yourself and that means a lot to me. I’m an emotional player, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I try to put that for the good, but I really appreciate them believing in me enough to play my game and also work at the parts I don't like to. I think now having an extended role, I think that's something really gonna take with a lot more pride.”
Through Miller’s years with the Rangers, he played alongside Ryan Callahan and Ryan McDonagh, two highly respected Rangers captains.
He was able to learn a great deal from them and still cherishes their friendship to this day.
‘I’ve had a lot of great captains, but the ones who stick out are the guys I had here first, McDonagh and Callahan,” Miller emphasized. “Still very close with those guys. I tried to be a sponge around those guys. You learn a lot about mainly about the way they play. Just absolute warriors of the game. When they spoke up, it was time to listen, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
Miller has reached the pinnacle of his career, being named captain of an original six team, but it’s hard to forget that last season he was arguably at the lowest point of his career.
A reported feud between Miller and Elias Pettersson spread like wildfire within the Canucks organization, and a lot of scrutiny surrounded Miller’s name.
The 32-year-old forward 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.
Rangers' Veterans And Young Players Support J.T. Miller As Captain
The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> created headlines on Tuesday by naming J.T. Miller their 29th captain in franchise history.
Ultimately, Miller was traded to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31 and was forced to then adapt to a totally new system on the fly.
It was a difficult year for both Miller and the Rangers, as he just wants to leave the past behind and focus solely on the present.
“I think for me from where I came from last year and these guys here, everybody’s looking for a fresh start,” said Miller. “I don’t think anybody wants to even talk or think about last year anymore.
“There's so many new, exciting things about this year that we're just excited to turn the page and move on, but also let that fuel some hunger and not be at all be satisfied with the season I had last year and the season we all had. I just think it’s exciting, it feels fresh.”
While talking to the media, Miller seemed to be more energetic and just overall happier, which is a good sign to see.
On the ice during the first day of training camp, Miller played a physical brand of hockey, delivering a couple of big-time hits during the team’s scrimmage.
This is the start of a new era for both Miller and the Rangers.