@Bleach Clean , bringing this post over.
The LOA was likely a punishment for Miller's treatment of Pettersson that came to a head against NSH.
I think there is a subtle, but important, distinction though. I think the LOA was punishment for Miller disregarding the coaching staff's direction (probably multiple times) by continually trying to coach or criticize Pettersson. In a microcosm, that type of "behaviour" from one player to another isn't out of the ordinary at all, and is probably generally seen as a good thing. But obviously with the degradation of Miller and Pettersson's relationship, and the fact that Miller's criticism has likely going too far, at least in terms of Pettersson's personality (see Richardson's comments), it has become a bad thing and was no longer tenable, hence the direction from coaching.
He was playing poorly, Tocchet lets him sit for a shift, then he says something about mistreatment relative to Pettersson, and then is kept off for the 3rd period. After which, he goes back into the room and blows up at Tocchet and calls out Pettersson, which results in being sent home.
I don't think this is how it went, personally. I think he was barking orders at Pettersson on the penalty kill notwithstanding the fact that the coaching staff had repeatedly told him to shut up and worry about his own game. That's why he was benched, I think. The LOA was either added punishment, or was a new punishment for Miller blowing up at Tochett. If he in fact did blow up, then as I said in the past, I think it could have been because he thought he was treated unfairly by being publicly benched.
It is a response to his treatment of Pettersson, but it comes via the enforcement of a boundary by the coach.
Again, I think that's just tangentially related. I think coaching was pissed because he was doing something he had been told multiple times not to do. And when I listen to Richardson's comments, I don't think he was actually saying that Miller was objectively being unreasonably hard on Pettersson, only that based on Pettersson's personality and demeanour, Miller was being too hard on him and that he needed to ease up. But I think Miller seems to be like this with other players as well. Whether it crosses a line or something, is anyone's guess.
This is why the managers/coach have kept the rift in the media. They don't feel responsible. Further, when Tocchet criticized Miller against LA, Miller chose to get up and sit at the end of the bench away from his team (look familiar?). He was then played by Tocchet despite the exchange. We could infer that it's because Pettersson is not involved here. It's just Miller perceiving a relative mistreatment given how Tocchet has treated Pettersson.
I 100% agree that its why JR went public with this. It appears clear that management and coaching, and probably ownership too, view Miller and Pettersson as being the problems. And I think if it was just one of them that management and coaching viewed as being problematic then I don't think JR says what he said.
and it felt terrible.
