Miller on Canucks fan reaction: "If they want to throw their sh*t on the ice, it's up to them"
Want to throw your jersey on the ice? “Go ahead,” says J.T. Miller.
The Vancouver Canucks star player was seemingly in a bit of a surly mood on Monday, two days after fan protests at Rogers Arena drew league-wide attention. It’s hard to blame him.
The Canucks were not only booed throughout much of the second half of the third period of Saturday’s home opener, multiple jerseys were tossed onto the ice in protest.
Miller said after the game that he didn’t have a reaction to how fans showed their displeasure, but he expanded on that a little more after Monday’s morning skate.
He’s focused on helping the Canucks win their first game of the season, not what the fans are doing.
“If they want to throw their shit on the ice, it’s up to them,” Miller told reporters at Rogers Arena.
“I’ve got a job to do. I’m not worrying about if people want to come to the game, pay all that money, and throw their jersey on the ice. Go ahead. I’ve got a job to do.
“I’m worried about beating the Hurricanes today and having a good start to the game and us really try to come together as a team, not whether people want to toss their gear on the ice or not.”
The Canucks (0-4-2) are the only team in the NHL without a win this season, which began nearly two weeks ago for Vancouver.
On Sunday, Horvat said it feels like his team is “never going to win again,” as reported by Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
Miller has a different view.
“I say the same thing every day. It’s not as bad as you guys think it is. The sky’s not falling, certainly,” Miller said in response to a question referencing the sky falling in Vancouver.
“Part of this job is being a man and doing your job. So if everybody looks each other in the mirror and steps up a little bit, you should never feel like you’re not going to win.”
The message to players after the home opener loss was to look themselves in the mirror, Bruce Boudreau told reporters Saturday.
No player needs to do that more than Miller, who only has three points in six games, and has been dreadful defensively since signing a seven-year $56 million contract last month. Miller spoke about his desire to be a better defensive player before the season, but so far his play on the ice hasn’t matched his words.
Miller has been on the ice for a team-high 14 goals-against this season, but only four goals-for. He had already been removed from Vancouver’s top penalty-killing unit, and at Sunday’s practice he was moved from centre to the wing, in another move to diminish his defensive responsibility.
“I’m comfortable there if that’s where I’m going to play. I’m looking forward to getting a chance to play there, I guess. I’m not sure what we’re going to do yet,” said the 29-year-old veteran forward.
Miller was spotted skating with Horvat and Ilya Mikheyev during line rushes.
“It’s obviously a different position. I can skate a little bit more, can make faster reads and be a little more instinctive and assertive. Not read off the play as much, just go, and just skate more.”
Whatever works, because the pressure is on the Canucks. The seventh game of the regular season feels more like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs right now.
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