Miller-Pettersson rematch Vancouver Canucks fans have been waiting for takes place this weekend

Since the Vancouver Canucks traded J.T. Miller in January, this upcoming weekend has been circled on fans calendars.

Miller and his new team, the New York Rangers, will face off against the 32-year-old’s former squad on Saturday morning at Madison Square Garden. It’ll be the first time Miller plays against the Canucks since being traded.

All eyes will be on Miller competing against former teammate Elias Pettersson. The two were co-stars on the Canucks for years, but they never got along off the ice. Their personal feud boiled over in a major way this year, forcing President Jim Rutherford to acknowledge it publicly and eventually resulting in Miller’s departure.

It’s been a difficult season for Pettersson, and while the hope was that things would improve following Miller’s departure, that didn’t immediately happen. He continued to struggle and Canucks fans had to watch Miller explode offensively in his first games with the Rangers.

However, over the past two weeks, the script has completely flipped. Pettersson has found his game again and is riding a six-game point streak, while Miller has gone nine games without a goal.

Miller and Pettersson already played each other once after the trade when Team USA took on Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off. That game didn’t mean anything for the tournament standings. Pettersson played fewer than 10 minutes as he was clearly sick or injured.

Miller was asked before that 4 Nations game about facing off against Pettersson, and the matchup was downplayed.

“It’s definitely something that [the media builds] up for sure. I’m sure it’s more exciting for you guys, but it’s just another game for us,” said Miller at the time.

Their first NHL head-to-head matchup has much more on the line, as both teams are vying for a playoff spot. With roughly a month left in the season, every contest is critical for both these clubs.

The Canucks and Rangers desperately need the two points up for grabs on Saturday. Miller and Pettersson are playing major roles for each side, and fans look forward to seeing how the two longtime teammates compete against each other after such a turbulent season.