How former Rangers captains influenced JT Miller: ‘I tried to be a sponge’
It’s been quite the journey for J.T. Miller to arrive at this point, named captain of the New York Rangers two days ago. And Miller acknowledged the important role a pair of former Rangers captains had in shaping what he’d eventually become years ago.
“I’ve had a lot of great captains; the guys that stick out are the ones I had when I was first here, [Ryan McDonagh] and [Ryan Callahan],” Miller said Thursday in his first public comments since he was named the 29th captain in Rangers history on Tuesday.
“It was ingrained in me as a young kid what it means to be a captain around here, and I’m super lucky and grateful to represent a group like that.”
The Rangers selected Miller with the No. 15 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. He suited up for the Rangers in the 2013 lockout-shortened season, when Callahan was captain. And he broke out as a lineup mainstay in 2015-16, when McDonagh wore the C.
Their impact on Miller is felt to this day.
“I tried to be a sponge around those guys, mainly about the way they play, absolute warriors of the game,” Miller explained. “Not exactly ‘rah-rah’ but when it’s time to speak up, it’s time to listen. That’s something I’ll never forget.”
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Those lessons learned from Callahan and McDonagh are ingrained in Miller. But that doesn’t mean he had a smooth road to stardom.
Miller spent his first few seasons shuttling back and forth between Hartford of the American Hockey League and Broadway. He had a well-earned reputation as a cocky kid, but struggled to back it up on the ice.
Though he twice scored 22 goals with the Rangers, Miller was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the rebuild in March of 2018. One trade later, he settled in and became a star with the Vancouver Canucks, recording 103 points just two seasons ago.
Now he’s back in New York, starring for his original NHL team and serving as its captain.
When asked Thursday if Miller ever thought he’d one day be Rangers captain when he was in his first tenure with the club, his response came with a smirk.
“Absolutely not. I learned a lot along the way, which was pretty well documented, and I’m thankful for all of the tough times now.”
Miller said he remains friends with Callahan and McDonagh. And in an ironic twist, they were reunited as teammates for a couple of years in Tampa, with McDonagh part of the same trade, and Callahan dealt to the Lightning ahead of the 2014 trade deadline.
As for the present, Miller explained that Rangers coach Mike Sullivan and general manager Chris Drury helped fill him with confidence that he will succeed as Rangers captain.
“I got a lot of advice from Mike and Chris about being yourself, and for me, that means a lot,” he said. “I’m an emotional player; I put my heart on my sleeve. I try to put that on 80-90 percent of the good, but I really appreciate that they believe in me.”
