Less than 24 hours after the Vancouver Canucks traded him to the New York Rangers, J.T. Miller scored his first and second goals back in a Rangers uniform. The first one came just over 10 minutes into his first game with his original NHL club.
The second came later in the game, which eventually ended as a 6-3 loss for the visiting Rangers.
After leaving American Airlines Center in Dallas last night, following the announcement of his trade to New York, Miller made his way to Boston for the Rangers’ matchup against the Bruins today at TD Garden. In his first game back with the team that drafted him, he slotted into the first-line centre position alongside Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. It took less than a period for the Rangers to start seeing a return on their investment.
Shortly after Charlie McAvoy put the Bruins on the board halfway through the first, a giveaway by Brandon Carlo in Boston’s zone set up Miller to blast the Rangers’ 1-1 tying tally past Jeremy Swayman.
The Rangers, Canucks, and Miller are all in the midst of disappointing seasons in their own right. Both teams, expected to be contenders at the start of the season, are now fighting to stay in the playoff race with 30 games left. Miller himself is coming off a career year in 2024, having recorded over 100 points for the first time, but has struggled this season with just nine goals and 35 points through 40 games. Both New York and Miller hope a fresh start will help him regain his previous point-per-game form- so far so good.
During the first intermission of the game, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan spoke with Miller, who expressed his excitement about being a Ranger again.
“I’m definitely excited. It’s been a long two days but it’s really special to put this jersey back on. Obviously it felt nice to get one but I’m a little numb right now but just try to take it in right now.
”I have no disrespect to the Vancouver Canucks organization. They’ve given me absolutely everything, the support I’ve had over the whole year — it’s been a long year. The opportunity came up for me to be a Ranger again and obviously it’s a special thing for my family and I. So I’m really excited”
Miller is no stranger to New York, having been selected 15th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Over 341 games, he scored 72 goals and added 100 assists before being traded to Tampa Bay during the 2017-18 campaign. During his two years with the Lightning, he tallied 65 points in 94 games before being acquired by the Canucks. Much of his career prior to that had been overshadowed by top-tier competition in New York and Tampa. However, in Vancouver’s top-six lineup, he was able to showcase his full potential and establish himself as a top-10 scorer in the NHL. Across six seasons with the Canucks, Miller recorded 152 goals and 437 points in 404 games, ranking him second in team history in points-per-game rate at 1.08, behind only Pavel Bure.
Sponsored by bet365