Vancouver Canucks centre J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave from the team for “personal reasons.”
General manager Patrik Allvin announced the news in a statement Tuesday, saying the club’s focus is making sure Miller knows “the entire organization is here to support him.”
Miller, 31, has six goals and 10 assists in 17 games for Vancouver this season, and is second on the team in points behind captain Quinn Hughes (18 points).
The six-foot-one, 218-pound forward from East Palestine, Ohio, was selected 15th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2011 draft and has played for New York, Vancouver and the Tampa Bay Lightning over 13 NHL seasons.
The Canucks are already without some key players, including goalie Thatcher Demko (knee), sniper Brock Boeser (upper body) and defenceman Derek Forbort (lower body).
Vancouver (9-5-3) is set to host the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Islanders’ Reilly having heart procedure
New York Islanders defenceman Mike Reilly will undergo a procedure to address a pre-existing heart condition that was found during routine tests after being concussed earlier this month.
General manager Lou Lamoriello said it was picked up through echocardiograms as part of Reilly’s post-concussion evaluation.
“It’s probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired,” Lamoriello said Monday. “They detected this, something that you’re sometimes born with but never knew.”
Reilly, 31, was concussed during a game at Buffalo on Nov. 1. He has been cleared from the concussion but will be out indefinitely while recovering from the heart procedure.
There is no timeline, but Lamoriello expects Reilly to be able to continue his playing career and have full quality of life.
Reilly has been with the Islanders for roughly a year since they claimed him off waivers from Florida. The Chicago native in his 10th NHL season also previously played for Minnesota, Montreal, Ottawa and Boston.
Oilers claim forward Kapanen off waivers
The Edmonton Oilers claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
The 28-year-old right-winger had one goal in 10 games with the Blues this season.
Kapanen made his NHL debut in the 2015-16 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He spent parts of five seasons with the team.
He also spent parts of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins before joining the Blues midway through the 2022-23 campaign.
In 470 NHL regular-season games, Kapanen has 85 goals and 124 assists.
The Oilers, who took a 9-8-2 record into their game Tuesday night at Ottawa, have struggled at times with team offence. Edmonton entered play with just 50 goals scored over 19 games.