Canucks’ J.T. Miller needs “time and space”: report
The reasoning behind J.T. Miller’s personal leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks is coming to light.
The team announced today the surprising news that the forward will be stepping away from the team indefinitely. It sounds like the break is needed mentally for the player.
“Hearing J.T. Miller leave is about a player who needs a re-set,” explained CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on X.
“Needs time and space.”
Hearing JT Miller leave is about a player who needs a re-set.
Needs time and space.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) November 19, 2024
That report was corroborated by others, according to local journalists.
“Been told that J.T. Miller’s personal leave is not related to substance or alcohol abuse or anything at all like that. It’s about giving the player a chance to re-set himself mentally,” wrote Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston on Bluesky.
“We know he is obsessed with competing at 100% and we can see he hasn’t been. That’s been weighing on him.”
Miller will not be travelling with the team on their upcoming six-game road trip per Johnston.
It hasn’t been an easy start to the season for Miller. The 31-year-old has been dealing with injuries throughout the early part of this year. He was benched by head coach Rick Tocchet for virtually the entire third period of last game.
“There is nothing sinister about this. The player just needs a reset,” explained Dhaliwal on Donnie & Dhali.
“He just got benched [and] he has been dealing with injuries. There is nothing sinister about this, there is no National Enquirer story. He just needs a reset.”
The forward has the full support of the organization and his teammates during his time away from the Canucks.
“He’s a family member here and we will support him,” said head coach Rick Tocchet, per the CanucksInsider X account.
“He’s a family member here and we will support him.”
-Rick Tocchet on J.T. Miller pic.twitter.com/eqqmlOmtEN
— Canucks Insider (@CanucksInsider) November 19, 2024