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Jim Rutherford Reveals Shocking Reason That Led to the JT Miller Trade

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 3, 2025 1:17 PM ET

Canucks President Jim Rutherford revealed a shocking detail that led to JT Miller's trade, which is due to the player having requested a fresh start from the team.

Vancouver Canucks centre J.T. Miller attempted to bridge the gap with linemate Elias Pettersson before he was traded to the New York Rangers, Vancouver President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford said.

Once that did not work, Miller demanded a fresh start, and the Canucks shopped him.

'I would like to move on and get a fresh start.'
- JT Miller

The tense dynamic between the two star forwards was an open secret halfway through the 2024-25 season. Miller, in attempting to keep on good terms in the room and keep alive Vancouver's playoff hopes, did not push for a trade early on.

The team did receive a list of possible desired destination teams from Miller and negotiated with the Rangers on January 31.

In return, Vancouver received center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and the first-round selection in the year 2025. The selection was traded to Pittsburgh in return for defenseman Marcus Pettersson and wing Drew O'Connor.

Miller finished with better statistics than Pettersson after the trade

Miller played in New York with impressive stats, scoring 13 goals and registering 35 points in 32 games. Pettersson's season in Vancouver was less stellar, with him scoring 15 goals and accumulating 45 points in 64 games.

Despite the trades, neither team qualified for the playoffs. Even so, Rutherford is optimistic that Pettersson will bounce back in the 2025-26 season, conceding he was not properly ready to start training camp last season.

Pettersson is the franchise's most expensive player at age 26 after he signed in March 2024 on an eight-year, $92.8 million deal with a yearly cap hit averaging $11.6 million.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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