Things are not going as well for the Vancouver Canucks as they were at this time last year.
On Tuesday, general manager Patrik Allvin announced that forward JT Miller is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons.
“Right now, our sole focus is making sure that J.T. knows the entire organization is here to support him,” Allvin said in a statement. “Out of respect to J.T., we will have no further comment at this time.”
Canucks Forward J.T. Miller to take indefinite leave for personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/RzjZT3bKCK
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 19, 2024
The 31-year-old has tallied six goals and 10 assists in 17 games with the Canucks during the 2024-25 season, marking his sixth year in Vancouver and 13th in the NHL. However, during the Canucks’ recent game against the last-place Nashville Predators, Miller was notably benched for much of the third period.
The Canucks went on to lose the game 5-3.
In a post-game media scrum, head coach Rick Tocchet addressed Miller’s reduced ice time.
“I just went with the guys that I thought could get us back in the game,” Tocchet explained when asked about the decision.
He also confirmed that Miller’s benching was not injury-related.
According to a social media post by Dhaliwal on Donnie & Dhali, “There is nothing sinister about this. The player just needs a reset.”
“There is nothing sinister going on here, this is a player that needs a reset and some time and space..”
Earlier @DonTaylor5 and @DhaliwalSports talked about J.T. Miller’s leave of absence from the #Canuckshttps://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/DalsIpN6wQ
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) November 19, 2024
In more positive news for the team, star goalie Thatcher Demko is expected to return soon after missing the entire start of the season due to a nagging knee injury. While an exact date has not been announced, his return has been described as imminent.
The Canucks take on the New York Rangers tonight at 7 p.m. at in Vancouver.
