You would never tell it was J.T. Miller’s first Vancouver Canucks game in a month by watching him play Thursday night.
The forward return to action for the first time stepping away on personal leave in mid-November. He hadn’t played a game since November 17 and had just a few practices from earlier this week under his belt.
His matchup for the first contest back: the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and Hart Trophy-caliber centre Aleksander Barkov.
Miller went head-to-head against Barkov and held his own, finishing with two points in a dominant 4-0 Canucks win.
“He’s one of the best players in the league,” said head coach Rick Tocchet. “He’s a big part of our team. That’s hard to do, not play for a month and come in there and do what he did.”
“I thought he did a good job against Barkov. He’s a big guy in the middle, it’s tough to go around him.”
One of Miller’s assists came on a goal for longtime linemate and good friend Brock Boeser who was skating in his 500th NHL game.
“He brings a big lift to our team,” said Boeser. “Makes our team a lot deeper when he’s in the lineup. He’s a leader on this team and it was awesome to get him back.”
“He’s such an elite player and he shows what he can do night in and night out.”
Boeser extends the Canucks’ lead! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OrUodN7Cyj
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 13, 2024
Rogers Arena erupted into “J.T. Miller” chants spontaneously throughout the night. While the centre may have played coy when asked about the fan support this morning, the noise was hard to avoid tonight.
Big J.T. Miller chant as clock winds down with 4-0 #Canucks lead.
Miller has two points in his first game back from personal leave. pic.twitter.com/q2J1NmoYrA
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) December 13, 2024
The fanbase loves Miller and gave him another big cheer when he was named first star of the game.
Tonight’s first star…
🗣️J.T. MILLER 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/du68UkccKA
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 13, 2024
“Getting J.T. back was a huge boost for the team,” said Kevin Lankinen who recorded his third shutout of the season.
“The way he came in and the kind of effort he put was a big part of the win tonight is just huge and we’re really happy to have him back.”
With Miller back in the lineup, the Canucks are a lot deeper, especially down the middle. They showed that tonight in one of their most impressive victories of the year. With a run of tough opponents coming up, the All-Star’s return could not have come at a better time.