It was April 2, 2014 — J.T. Miller’s second pro season — and the New York Rangers were fed up.
Miller had missed curfew on the road in Vancouver. He was sent home early on a lonely commercial flight and demoted to Hartford for the sixth time that season as punishment.
“AV (Alain Vigneault) came out with a quote in the media that if I don’t figure it out on and off the ice I’ll be nothing but an AHL player or something along those lines and that hurt,” Miller said to The Athletic. “In a nutshell, it was: ‘Get your shit together, it’s time to be a pro here. You’re not a baby anymore.’ I was supposed to be taking the next step and I wasn’t.
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“I was mad at the time. Looking now at it, for him to say that publicly, I don’t think that was out of line.”
Miller didn’t have an easy time explaining the demotion to his parents.
“I think part of it was letting us down,” his mother, Jen, said. “We don’t really care about what’s embarrassing and what isn’t, but fully knowing that he has the world in the palm of his hands and he’s kind of making some bad decisions.
“I was like, ‘If you keep doing the same thing, you’re going to get the same result so look in the mirror, think about what you’re doing.'”
That whole incident became one of the wake-up calls that fuelled Miller.
“It sucked but it’s powerful in how it affects young players that think their shit doesn’t stink, that’s for sure,” said Miller. “That (Vigneault) quote is something I’ll remember forever, that you need to have a different level of accountability and professionalism.”
J.T. Miller’s sky-high potential was immediately evident from the day he landed with the US National Team Development Program as a teenager. Miller was hockey’s equivalent of a complete five-tool player in baseball — he possessed high-end puck skills, a dominant physical frame, good skating ability, a shot with an explosive release and impressive hockey sense and playmaking vision.
And yet there were still question marks about whether he’d even reach the NHL.
“There were definitely red flags,” said Chadd Cassidy, Miller’s former USNTDP assistant coach. “The biggest thing for Millsy was he’d get so wrapped up in the game emotionally to the point where he’d lose emotional control. I remember times even in practice kicking him off the ice.
“One of the first practices in his first season with us was a touch passing drill. He was having a hard time executing – pucks were bobbling, flying all over the place. He gets about four feet away from me to do the final touch pass and he literally rockets one by my knee at about 90 miles an hour.
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“Sometimes there would be bad penalties, bad body language, just really letting things get underneath his skin even as a young player.”
Miller had immature habits but the coaching staff could see that there was a really good person deep down. The problem was just that he didn’t know how to properly channel his uber competitive nature when he hit obstacles, adversity or any other kind of frustration — a critical mental skill for NHL success.
“Every team was asking about J.T. (heading into the draft),” said Cassidy. “The one thing that I do remember feeling confidently comfortable telling teams was that although J.T. has a ways to go, he is a good kid who cares a lot about people and he cares a lot about his teammates. And once he puts it all together and figures it out, he’s going to be a really special player.”
“A ways to go” turned out to be an accurate timeline. Miller didn’t break out as a point-per-game player until his eighth NHL season, with his third NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks.
This is the inside story of how he matured into a star.
Miller was drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers in 2011 with high expectations. His first pro years featured flashes of promise, immaturity, countless AHL demotions and inconsistency.
Ryan Callahan, four NHL seasons with Miller in New York and Tampa Bay, close friend: Any young guy that comes in as a top pick, they’ve been the best of the best since they’ve been a kid. It’s tough when you’re at that NHL level and that’s the first time you’re getting hit with adversity or that you got to really, really work for this, that it’s not going to come easy, you’re not going to be the top guy.
There’s other things you have to do on the ice besides scoring goals and putting up points if you wanna play. It’s an eye opener, it’s a shock and I’m sure J.T. went through it.
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Miller: I was young and dumb a little bit and didn’t know what it took to be a pro. You think you’re right all the time and immature and it takes you a long time to realize that.
Brian Boyle, mentor and former linemate in New York: I remember being like, “I don’t know why this coach is saying this, I think it should be done this way” when I was a younger player.
It’s about understanding that if you do what he says, you nod your head yes and you do it with enthusiasm you’re going to go a lot farther. I think that’s part of growing up too.
Callahan: It’s a long season and when you’re young – and myself included, a lot of guys are like this – it’s hard to come in every day and be ready to work and try to get better. You get home at 1 a.m., get in bed at 3 a.m., all the sudden you’re up and the practice is at 11:30.
As a young kid it’s easy to mail that practice in because you go, “Does this really matter? I’m exhausted.” It’s realizing that every day counts.
Miller: My second year we had a new coach, Alain Vigneault. It’s easy to sit back and say I hated the guy then.
He was very, very hard on me but at the end of the day, he had a very high standard for his players. I wasn’t the most coachable. I came into camp in bad shape, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. I put a bad first impression on a guy that was a veteran coach for a team that was trying to compete for the Cup.
Jen Dodge, mother: He doesn’t have to like his coach, but he has to respect him. As much as he probably bit his tongue and duct-taped his mouth shut, he knew that AV’s the boss no matter what.
Boyle: AV’s very blunt, he’s very specific in what he wants from each player.
Miller: We might not have seen eye-to-eye then but hypothetically if something were to happen now and we’d be together again, I’m sure it’d be much different. But that’s just how it was back then.
He’s a great coach. I think it made me the player who I am. He was a big part of that.
Miller was sent down to the AHL six different times in 2013-14.
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Miller: It sucked really. First of all, we had a great (NHL) team, it wasn’t going to be easy (to make it), which is different than here – and I’m not saying we’re not a great team – but Bo, for instance, came in here as a young player and the team struggled for four to five years, they were rebuilding. We weren’t doing that at all. Every year we’re making moves at the deadline — we were in it every year.
We didn’t have time for B.S. there like turnovers, we didn’t have time for no backchecking and it’s like if you make a mistake, you’re out of the lineup.
Ken Gernander, Miller’s former AHL head coach: It was hard on him. I think that might be due to a certain level of maturity and not having been through things and just wanting it so badly as well.
Miller: You’re 20, you’re not going to question whether you’re going to quit but it’s like a full test on you.
With the temper (I had) and playing on kind of a double-edged sword and sharp edges, you have a lot of volatility like that. The goods are really good and the bads are really bad. That’s where I think I just learned so much going through the hard times.
Dodge: He felt confident enough that with the right attitude he could ask questions like, “Hey, can I get a little feedback?”
At first he would not get any feedback, he’d just hear from someone else to pack your bags, but after he got more confident to ask why. Sometimes he’s just like, “I don’t have a clue why I’m going down, I’m just going to work my butt off and get back up.” Sometimes it was crystal clear. Sometimes it was, “Hey, I need to get this other guy in, I’m going to send you down so you can play.”
Boyle: You’re constantly being critiqued. When you get sent down to the American league, sometimes you might think, “Well, alright, this might be fun. I’ll have the puck more, I’ll be able to make some plays,” but you forget that those coaches are tasked with fixing some of the growing pains you might have had on the big club and they’re going to harp on you about all those things too, even if you’re the most talented guy on that roster.
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Gernander: There were days when I was hard on him, there were days where I tried to be more of a mentor or father type. You tried all different strategies to work with him and reach him.
Boyle: The only thing I would ever say (to him) would be, “Well, you’ll be back.” If you’re up and down, it’s like you’ll be back because they see something in you and they want you to succeed and it’s just not working right now. Obviously, they’re not giving up on you.
Miller: I realized watching the (Cup) Finals that year against LA when we lost that I wanted to be playing in those games. To be honest, in the heat of the moment you’re thinking, “Let’s just get this over with and either way I know I’m not in.”
That season was hell, there was every excuse to hate that season for me. And I very selfishly wanted to move past that and go to the next year. But at the same time, to see how much care and how much pride and how much every play mattered in the playoffs, that sticks with you forever.
I made a conscious decision that summer to get my you-know-what together. That year was a big part of my career. I had a chip on my shoulder and went back to camp six weeks early in New York and really put my best foot forward.
Callahan: It’s a 24/7 job and you can see his work ethic improved tremendously as his career went on in practices and things like that – it was always there in games – but all of a sudden his practice habits get better, your attitude off the ice gets better when things aren’t going well because you know it can affect the team if it’s not.
Dodge: I think his focus on output is where he failed (initially). You can’t control if that puck is going in, you can’t control that your teammate has a one-timer and if it goes in or not.
As time evolved, he focused more on things he could control — he focused more on (moving) his legs, his skates, where he’s supposed to be (positionally). Keeping your mouth shut, suck it up and just do what you’re told to. And I think that helped his transition to start to get out of teenager and into young adult.
Miller: After that, I started to catch my stride in New York a little bit – started to feel good as a pro, kinda knew what my game was when I was playing well.
Miller was now a consistent 40+ points-per-season contributor. But the Rangers shipped him to Tampa as part of the Ryan McDonagh blockbuster at the 2018 trade deadline. Tampa is where Miller learned the value of team over self and buying in for a bigger purpose.
Callahan: When he got traded to Tampa you could tell right away that there was a change in not only his mental approach to the game but his ability and confidence. He matured as a human, as an NHL player.
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You could definitely see the contrast of his consistency, he was a lot more physical than the early days in New York and part of that goes along with the idea that you’re not getting points sometimes — there are other parts of the game that you have to be effective with.
Miller: I signed a nice contract, long-term and I didn’t play as much as I wanted to.
Looking back, I don’t know if I was 100 percent bought into that. It was a little more, “I want more for me blah blah blah,” but we had a record season with 60 something wins and obviously it didn’t end well getting swept in the first round but that was just special seeing what it’s like to be with some of the most elite players in the world.
At the same time that just goes to show, you’ve got to have a role and you learned to buy into whatever role they asked of you.
Derek Lalonde, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach: J.T. was going to be on the ice for offensive situations — down a goal with our goalie pulled or on the power-play or when we’re chasing a game.
Later, what I appreciated about J.T. was he really wanted to be out there to protect that lead in the end to finish things off, to make the right defensive play in the end. To win face-offs, to play the wing.
Miller’s special competitive drive is a blessing, and yet it caused issues when things went against him. He’s still prone to showing his frustration, but he’s learned how to not let it affect his next shift — something that’s helped his consistency.
Lalonde: Sometimes I think J.T. gets misunderstood because he’s so competitive.
Callahan: I think the biggest thing that got in Millsy’s way, to be honest, is he was too hard on himself. He cares too much. He would go out and try to make a play on the ice that didn’t work and you come back to the bench and he’s beating himself up over the play.
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Lalonde: He’d wear it for the next 6-8 minutes, maybe an entire game where it would just snowball and his play would deteriorate.
Callahan: He’d sit on the bench, down on himself and I’d give him a tap like, “Millsy, fuck, forget about it buddy.” I was just always in his ear, especially in Tampa. Just remind him like, “There’s a reason why we traded for you. You’re gonna be a big part of our runs here so pick yourself back up.”
Gernander: One of the things he had to learn was even if you do want it that badly, it doesn’t mean you can go out next shift and get it back. At lower levels, I’m sure he could just go back, grab the puck and really make a difference the next shift if he made a mistake. At the pro level, there’s so much more skill that you can’t just do it on-demand by yourself.
Miller: I play on the edge and it’s so hard for me to relate with people that are just more relaxed because they don’t understand why. But when I talk to people that play on the edge and they’re competitive and a little tempered, they can relate. I’ve had a temper my entire life, that’s not new information.
I expect I guess perfection a lot. I know that’s a little crazy. I understand here (in Vancouver) that when I bring my game and play well, we win more games than we lose. When I don’t, it’s not that I let the team down but I take a lot of heat on myself. That’s why I think you guys (still) hear a lot of frustration is because of how much weight I try to hold for this team.
When I’m breaking sticks or yelling swear words or whatever, I understand that’s still something I need to be better at. I’m not young anymore, the young guys see that and I don’t want that to be OK. I try to talk to them and let them know that I’m just doing it because I’m hard on myself.
Lalonde: I can see the type of player he’s turning into now and I think it’s him corralling that mental side where he’s able to move past certain plays or points in games and it’s allowed him to be more consistent.
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Our guys miss him, everyone loved him.
Miller: I still haven’t got it to where I want to be but at the same time when I was younger I knew I wasn’t going to get on the ice for a while there so I would be super, super hard on myself.
But now I think it’s a little easier to forget about it because I’m going to go back out there pretty quickly and get another chance to make up for it.
Miller always felt he had more to offer, but it wasn’t until the trade to Vancouver when he got a chance to prove it. In 2019-20 he broke out with 72 points in 69 games.
Miller: Once I kind of got my stride in the NHL, I wanted to be the best player on the ice. I know that I’m not going to go out there and be as good as Kucherov or Matthews or whatever but I want to be the most impactful player on the ice, that was my goal every game.
I knew I was gonna get a bigger role here so at that point I said, “Why not, I wanna be the best player every game out of both teams.”
Travis Green, former Canucks head coach: He wanted to kill penalties, he wanted to be a big part of the team, he wanted to be a leader on a team.
I told him, “You’ll get that opportunity here but the onus is on you. People can talk the talk, but you gotta walk the walk. Come in camp in great shape, that’s step one, and show that you wanna be that player.”
And to his credit he did – he came into camp in probably the best shape he’s ever been that year and it just took off from there.
Dodge: Green had one thousand percent faith in him. J.T. had more feedback, both good and bad. He knew where he stood all the time.
But at the same time, when J.T. makes a mistake, you don’t need to talk about it over and over again. You’ve watched him break a stick, slam against the boards – he knows when he’s screwing up.
I think Coach Green had the perfect communication style, the amount he trusted J.T. which is all J.T.’s ever wanted – he finally got a place where he can have conversations with the coach about how he thinks, he can give input and feel confident that the coach is going to hear him because that’s a whole different situation in Vancouver.
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I texted J.T.’s agent: “Can you tell Coach Green thanks for believing in my kid?”
Lalonde: I don’t know Green well but we were crossing him I believe at the draft. And Green mentioned, “This J.T. is driving us” and that didn’t surprise me. J.T.’s a really simple and laid-back guy, he doesn’t need the $10,000 Rolexes, he’s simple with his suits – I appreciate that with him.
Miller: I think in the last three years I’ve learned a lot about myself. We’ve had some good times and some hard times.
First of all, I’m super thankful for the opportunity this organization has given me. It’s everything a player could ask for. Playing on both ends of the rink, special teams, tons of young talent here. It’s been a blast being here, some of my better friends are here now and it just kind of flies by.
Miller didn’t just evolve on the ice but as a leader too.
Green: I don’t think there’s a book on “This is how you become a good leader” and every leader probably has things he wishes he could do better.
We talked about different things about how he leads, how he can be a better leader. He speaks from his heart, he’s aggressive but I think him controlling his emotions was something we talked about a lot. The best leaders have a way of looking past their individual frustrations, their individual play and sometimes that’s hard.
He also hasn’t changed who he is. J.T. is who he is. He’s a rogue guy. He’s an aggressive player ,which all coaches love. How you handle those players is important.
Lalonde: I could see the leadership role coming, I think it was him channelling his unbelievable competitiveness the right way. He was part of our leadership group in Tampa. He’s a really honest guy so I think it was really easy for him to speak up in the room.
For him I think it was evolving as an example on the ice. When adversity hits, is he going to carry that frustration with him or is he going to carry us out of it? Those are the things that he was starting to evolve with.
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Miller: I’ve learned that one of the best ways to be a leader is by showing it on the ice.
Your peers are watching every single shift, your coaches are watching it (the film) back however many times. You can’t hide. I think if you play your game a 9/10 or an 8 – you bring your game, best effort, will and desire – that’s what you hang your hat on.
That’s where players can really take that next step whether it’s leadership or level of being an elite player is how many games out of 10 or 20 does he take off?
Dodge: When he got the A on his sweater (this season), that was one of the biggest highlights. To have the team and the coach believe that he can be a leader when not many years ago that would have been the last thing a team would’ve put on his sweater – that transition alone was incredible.
Miller: I talked to Travis before the season and I won’t go into detail but it was talking about this (alternate captain possibility) and I said, “I would be honoured. But at the same time, it’s not going to change what I do whether I’m wearing it or not. I can still be the same player and leader whether I wore it or not. So if that helps you make your decision, I feel comfortable either way. I understand that I might be a riskier option with the volatility and the emotional side of things but I think that’s what makes me the best version of myself, on that sharp edge.”
I take a lot of pride in wearing it. I never really thought I could get to this point.
(Top photo: Gavin Napier / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
