The New York Rangers created headlines on Tuesday by naming J.T. Miller their 29th captain in franchise history.
Was this a decision supported by the Rangers’ players?
According to Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, Drury met with Vincent Trocheck and the rest of the leadership group to “gauge feelings” about Miller as captain and everyone was on board.
In addition to the veteran players being on board, it’s essential for Miller to have the respect of younger players.
After the final day of rookie camp, Brennan Othmann opened up about how he looks up to Miller and is in favor of this decision.
“I think it’s great,” Othmann said of Miller being named captain. “J.T. is the kind of player I look up to, J.T. is the kind of player I see myself playing like in a few years. He’s just heavy, physical, every team knows he’s on the ice at all times, you gotta be aware when he’s out there. He leads by example, and I think every single team in the NHL would want a guy like J.T. on his team.
The Rangers Are Sending A Clear Message By Naming J.T. Miller Capatin
By naming J.T. Miller captain, the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> are sending a clear message.
“He talks to every single one of the players on the team, he’s a leader, he plays the right way, he plays honest, and that’s the way hockey players should be playing in my opinion. There were a lot of guys in that room who were deserving of the “C”, but you can’t go wrong with J.T., he’s earned that, he’s deserved that. Ever since I got called up, he’s shown that he’s a leader and that he could be a captain in the NHL.”
Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin will serve as alternate captains, rounding out the Rangers’ leadership core.