Oct 28, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller (8) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Rangers' J.T. Miller Gets Warm Welcome from Canucks

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI
By Jennifer Streeter | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New York Rangers managed to defeat the Vancouver Canucks on the road. The win was extra significant for J.T. Miller, marking the Ranger's first return to Rogers Arena as a captain of an opposing team.

Miller was named the 29th captain in franchise history of the Rangers on Sept. 17. He was brought back to the Rangers in January following his time as a member of the Vancouver Canucks via a trade that sent center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a 2025 conditional pick to Vancouver. It was reported that it was the result of a potential conflict with Vancouver's Elias Pettersson.

The current captain was originally drafted by the Blueshirts in 2011 and played six seasons before his time as a Canuck. When Miller ended back up with the Rangers, he brought an instant jump in scoring and a power-play boost.

J.T. Miller Receives Loud Applause from Rogers Arena

This was an emotional return for Miller — it was his first return back to Vancouver following last year's trade. it ended up being a 2-0 win for the Blueshirts.

Miller spent six seasons in Vancouver, where he had the best offensive years of his career (437 points in 404 games) and signed a seven-year, $56 million contract extension in 2022 that was ultimately cut short. As such, he saw a tribute video on the big screens when he was on the Rogers Arena ice.

A much warmer reception for JT Miller as his tribute video plays at Rogers Arena pic.twitter.com/2kh31WswYr
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 29, 2025

"I had a lot of nerves. I just tried to move my feet and stay focused. I really liked the way our line played in the first two periods. I thought that we had a cycle game, had an honest game. It's an emotional game, for sure. It actually went better than I thought. I actually thought it was gonna be a little worse, but made it through," Miller said on his return to Rogers Arena.

"It's just surreal. You don't realize how lucky you are. Just really happy that my kids got to be here today, and my wife. It means a ton to me. Just feel like super lucky to have that support in a hockey crazy city. It was a really special chapter of our lives here."

He had two shots on goal. Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick recorded the two goals of the evening. Goaltender Jonathan Quick tallied his 64th shutout of his career.

This puts Quick tied with Henrik Lundqvist for spot No. 17 on the NHL's all-time list.

Miller concluded his return to the Rangers in 2024-25 with 32 games played, 13 goals, 22 assists for 35 points featuring an average of 1.09 points per game, which was up from the 0.88 points per game he registered in Vancouver. So far on the year, he has six points across two goals and four assists.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: