J.T. Miller looks to grow ‘friendship and a bond’ with Rangers teammates at 4 Nations Face-Off
Only eight days after acquiring JT Miller from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, the New York Rangers went their separate ways for the two-week 4 Nations Face-Off break. Well, not all Rangers went their sperate ways.
Six players will take part in the mid-season international tournament, including Miller, who’s part of a team-high four Rangers on the United States roster. Miller will share a new sweater with Rangers teammates Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The break comes at an inopportune time for the Rangers. They had finally found their groove on the ice in January and February (11-5-3) to give themselves a real shot at the playoffs. Sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference, they are only three points back of the second wild-card spot with 27 games left on their schedule.
New York’s actions off the ice also paint them as a serious contender; the Rangers added an impact player when they acquired Miller – one of the top forwards on the market. Miller is off to a good start in his second tour with the Rangers, recording six points (three goals, three assists) in five games. But the 4 Nations Face-Off comes just as he’s settling in with his new team.
“I just feel crazy lucky that everything worked out the way it did,” Miller said about the trade on Tuesday.
Importantly, Miller won’t be alone on Team USA. He’ll continue to bond with Trocheck, Miller and Fox, on and off the ice, these next two weeks.
Miller was teammates with Kreider during his first stint in New York, which ended with a 2018 trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning. And Trocheck is his childhood buddy from the Pittsburgh area. Miller also played with Mika Zibanejad earlier in his career with the Rangers. Zibanejad is playing for Sweden at the 4 Nations.
“It’s nice that they’re here, get to know them a little bit more,” Miller told Mollie Walker of the New York Post. “I just think it gives us a leg up in the sense of getting to know them, as in having a friendship and a bond, so when we go back, a little more glue there.”
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J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck living fairytale with Rangers & Team USA
Fostering a friendship won’t be an issue for Miller with Trocheck; the two childhood friends had always dreamed of one day being on an NHL team together.
“We’ve been talking about it forever. It means a lot,” Miller said said after his Rangers re-debut on Feb. 1. “It’s just a cool experience to be able to play with your best friend in the NHL.”
Though playing together on the Rangers is a dream come true, Miller and Trocheck knew they would be teammates at some point this year; both were selected to represent Team USA in December.
“When we both got named to Team USA, that was something that we were both really excited about, being able to play together again. Then obviously he gets traded here last week and we have a chance to play together full time,” Trocheck said. “This whole scenario that’s been going on, the whole sequence has been pretty surreal and pretty awesome.”
“We keep pinching ourselves,” Miller added. “It’s very special for our families.”
Miller – who moved into the Trocheck’s home without even asking – made note of how close their families are. Their wives and children are both excited about how the trade unfolded.
Before they can focus on living out their NHL dreams together, the immediate task at hand is trying to win this first-ever 4 Nations Tournament with the United States. Over the next week and a half, they have the opportunity to add to their heartwarming story of friendship. Two childhood buddies winning a championship for their country certainly has a nice ring to it.
Winning the Stanley Cup in New York one day? That’d be even sweeter.
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