Why Rangers coach in tough spot with Olympic decision on J.T. Miller
Rock, meet hard place. That could be where New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan finds himself with an upcoming decision about team captain J.T. Miller.
Since Sullivan is also coach of the United States team for the 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics, he has a big say so in the construction of the roster. At one point, it seemed Miller was a slam-dunk candidate to make the team, especially after playing a gritty middle-six role for Team USA at the 4 Nations tournament this past February.
Now, there are doubts about Miller’s inclusion on the roster, based largely on his declining production with the Rangers this season. A former point-per-game player, Miller has seven goals and 18 points in 30 games
That leaves Sullivan in the unenviable position of, perhaps, informing the proud 32-year-old center that he didn’t make the team. Or the flip side, trying to keep the peace, Sullivan pushes for Miller to be included at the expense of players perhaps more deserving of the honor. No bueno either way.
“The whole thing with J.T. Miller, it’s more of a challenge then I thought it would be,” Elliotte Friedman stated Friday on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think he’s going to be on the U.S. team, but Miller’s played himself into a situation where you’re almost asking the question, ‘Should he be on the U.S. team?’ Like it’s a really tough spot on Sullivan because that’s his captain, and you want to take your captain, and you’re picking the team, and you’re worried about how Miller will handle it if he’s not going to be picked. But he’s really had a rough year.”
Allow yourself for a minute to picture that uncomfortable conversation, if Miller doesn’t make the team. Then ponder how that could possibly affect their relationship moving forward and what that could do to the Rangers (15-13-4), who already face considerable challenges to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It is conjecture, so it’s hard to get into somebody’s heart, their mind, about how they feel about something like that,” NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast. “I’m sure J.T. would be disappointed … the top players seemingly all want to compete in a best-on-best tournament, and J.T. Miller was part of Team USA at the 4 Nations.
“I ran into [Team USA general manager Bill Guerin] at an Islanders game at UBS Arena last week and, obviously, he keeps his cards close to the vest, but he said to me, ‘I’m going to have to deliver some tough news to a lot of good guys.'”
Even if Guerin was the one who delivered bad news to Miller, it still wouldn’t make for a great situation between the veteran forward and Sullivan.
Rangers coach, captain hope to lead United States at 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics
This all be a moot point because Miller likely has enough cache as a relentless grinder and shutdown center to at least earn a spot in the Team USA lineup in a checking role on the third or fourth line. He’s consistently gone up against opposing team’s top forwards this season with the Rangers, and basically filled that role at the 4 Nations, too.
His physicality and intensity level rub off on his teammates, just some of the intangibles that favor Miller landing a roster spot for the United States.
“I think he’ll be there because I think they’ll look at it and say, ‘This is the team we’re going to need to beat Canada, and he can be that kind of player,'” Friedman said, before adding, “But it’s been harder this year for Miller, and less impressive, I think, for Sullivan, when it comes to him, than any of us expected.”
Interestingly, Hradek sees a major positive if Miller doesn’t participate in the Olympics. And that’s shutting it down for three weeks between games on the Rangers schedule, kind of a February vacation of sorts for their captain.
In the case of J.T., if he doesn’t get selected, he gets the rest. I think he’s been dealing with an injury for pretty much most of the season. It might serve to spur him on to have a really strong post-Olympic stretch, which would be great for the New York Rangers.”
