What Elias Pettersson had to say after Vancouver Canucks traded J.T. Miller

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Nine months ago, J.T. Miller became the seventh player in Vancouver Canucks history to register a 100-point season.

Now, he’s playing for another team.

“Right now, it doesn’t really even seem real,” a dejected Quinn Hughes told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy after a 5-3 Canucks loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday.

Of course it doesn’t feel real.

This Canucks team was supposedly on the precipice of having their Stanley Cup window open up. Instead, their 2024-25 campaign has been derailed by injuries and more notably, a well-publicized rift between and Elias Pettersson.

When Jim Rutherford spoke candidly about the situation earlier this week, it felt like a trade was close.

Three days later, Miller is now a member of the New York Rangers.

So, how does Elias Pettersson, the man at the centre of this conflict, feel about the trade?

“Obviously, big blow,” Pettersson said. “[The trade] just happened when we got to the rink.”

“We lose a skillful, power forward. I mean, his play speaks for itself. All we can do now is look forward, wish him the best.”

When asked if this trade could help him “breathe” and help his play on the ice, given the issues he had with Miller, Pettersson didn’t want to comment.

“I don’t want to get into that,” Pettersson said. “I don’t even know what to say… all we can do is move forward.”

Who knows if we’ll ever find out the extent of what happened between the two former teammates, but it wasn’t all bad, according to Pettersson.

“I think we’ve had some really good moments. Playoffs my second year and then playoffs last year. Just a player that… I think both of us make each other better.”

Against the Stars, Pettersson played over 22 minutes, registering one assist on Jake DeBrusk’s power play marker at the end of the game.

Moving forward, it’s clear that he’s now the go-to forward on offence.

“We need him to come up with some big moments for us,” Rick Tocchet told reporters. “He knows he’s an important part of our team and he’s gotta get going.”

“I want that pressure,” Pettersson said. “It’s up to me to take it.”

Other Canucks comments on Miller trade

While Hughes might be the captain of the Canucks, it’s pretty clear that Miller was an emotional force in that locker room.

“Millsy has played great hockey for the Canucks and myself,” Tocchet said post-game. “Obviously, a heart and soul guy. I think he’s gonna do well over there.”

Miller finishes his Canucks career with 437 points in 404 games. That’s currently good for the 11th-best mark in team history. His 1.08 points-per-game is the second-most efficient mark in Canucks history, trailing only Pavel Bure.

“He’s a heck of a hockey player and I enjoyed playing with him for the six years that I had, and obviously wish him the best,” Hughes said.

The Canucks’ captain also added that he’ll see him in six to seven days, alluding to the fact that the two will be playing together for Team USA at the 4 Nations tournament.

“It’s been a lot of noise,” Hughes said. “For Millsy too, I think it’s been a lot on him, and I think he’s looking forward to a fresh start. We’re obviously going to miss him here.”

“I love Millsy, like I said, he played his ass off for me,” Tocchet said.

“There’s things that happen behind the scenes that, they happen. But sure, you get emotional. Millsy was a hell of a player for us.”

So, how do the Canucks move forward from here?

“I think it’s important that we have a pack mentality,” Tocchet said. “I think with this team, in the couple of years I’ve been here, we don’t go through these long losing streaks because guys have done a nice job of blocking out distractions.

“We’ve been a little inconsistent this year but I’ve got to give guys credit that they can focus and move on, and hopefully focus even stronger.”

We’ll see how the Canucks focus with three new players in the lineup. In addition to Chytil, the Canucks have added Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor as part of a second trade made with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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