How J.T. Miller ‘handled taking sh**’ from Rangers veterans as rookie
J.T. Miller carries himself with a certain swagger. It’s part of Miller’s DNA, just like his renowned intensity and high-end skill. And this isn’t anything new. It was evident when the New York Rangers selected him in the first round (No. 15 overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft.
Of course, when you’re a youngster making your bones in the NHL, veterans are always looking to knock some of that cockiness out of you. Especially as a highly-touted first-round pick. And typically, there’s more friendly fire coming from teammates than opponents.
Such was the case with Miller. But according to former Rangers center Derek Stepan, Miller gave as good as he got. That likely earned him more good-natured teasing and verbal “abuse” from his teammates. But it also earned him respect.
“If there was one young guy who handled taking sh** from the older guys, it was J.T,” Stepan explained on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “And he was great at it. He came in and gave it back.”
Miller wasn’t your typical rookie in that regard. Most young players in the League keep their heads down and simply accept their fate as rookies, victims of barbs and jokes in the locker room.
But this is all in the name of team building and camraderie, Stepan explained.
“That was just the way it was. We had such a great group of guys. Like, when I was younger, I got it too,” Stepan said. “Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan, these guys, it was like a war walking into a practice morning. If we played great, we played horrible, you never knew what you were going to get walking into that locker room. You just hoped you weren’t under the microscope.”
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Rangers alum recalls funny story about J.T. Miller from his rookie season
Miller wasn’t an instant success in the NHL. He had four points (two goals, two assists) in 26 games as a rookie in the lockout-shortened 2013 season. The following two seasons, Miller continued to bounce between the Rangers and their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford.
But he remained a confident, cocky kid. And we know the rest. Miller blossomed eventually into an NHL star, one who’s scored 20 goals or more seven times and had 103 points with the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24.
Now 32 and back in New York following a trade with the Canucks on Jan. 31, it’s fun to hear stories about Miller as a 20-year-old rookie.
Like this one Stepan recounted about how Mats Zuccarello zinged Miller one time after some “theatrics” by the then-youngster following a blocked shot.
“We are in New York and [Miller] blocks a shot and he’s down on the ice and he’s limping back to the bench,” Stepan shared. “And I’m sitting next to ‘Zucc’ because me and Zucc are linemates at the time. And the guy gets to the bench and he kind of needles himself into the bench and we’re trying to shut the door behind him and all of a sudden I just hear Zuccy over my shoulder saying, ‘Hey, did you block that one?!’ And it’s even funnier because the guy got so mad, the theatrics that he did.”
Stepan added that Zuccarello, known for his dry wit, really could get on Miller back in the day. But he wasn’t alone.
“We all might’ve had our fingers in it. But J.T., he was good. He loved it. For a young guy, he was great about it.”
