Miller-Pettersson drama overblown, says ex-Vancouver Canucks captain Horvat
Few players have had a more intimate look at the relationship between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller than ex-Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat.
The now-New York Islanders centre captained the Canucks for parts of four seasons and played 621 games on the west coast. He was in charge of uniting a dressing room that included both Miller and Pettersson.
Over the past few weeks, the noise around the reported rift between those two star players has increased in Vancouver. When asked about the situation, Horvat downplayed the drama, blaming the market for creating some of the pressure.
“It’s definitely [been blown out of proportions],” said Horvat, per Stefan Rosner in The Hockey News. “It’s always a tough market that way. Any little piece of information gets magnified in those situations, right? But I mean, that comes with the territory. It comes with playing there.”
Miller arrived in Vancouver during the summer of 2019, just before Horvat was named captain. By the 2021-22 season, Miller would be named an alternate captain, joining Horvat in the leadership group. The two had a very good relationship, Horvat says, even if they didn’t always see eye-to-eye.
“You’re all friends in there, you’re all teammates, and you’re all fighting towards the same goal. Are you gonna get along all the time? No, but at the same time, he and I had a good relationship. Same with me and Petey.”
The Canucks eventually traded Horvat to the Islanders, receiving Aatu Räty, Anthony Beauvillier, and a conditional first-round draft pick in return. The decision to deal their captain was made after signing Miller to a long-term extension, a move that was controversial at the time but has worked out thus far as he broke the 100-point mark last season.
While Horvat said he was never mad at the Canucks’ decision to trade him, he wasn’t the biggest fan of the way it was handled.
“They said one thing, and they did the complete opposite. It’s just frustrating when you are told one thing, and the opposite happens.”