Confirmed with Link: Dec 10: JT Miller is back skating with the team, return date TBD

[thecupismine]

I mean, not that I "hope" it's an off-ice issue or event, but that seems like a more plausible and justifiable reason to take a leave of absence from the team, vs. "I'm not playing well so I just want to take a break".

With the kind of heart & soul, play through everything, kind of guy JT Miller is, it would take a massive wake-up call for him to say I need time away. From his perspective, he likely thinks he can help the team even at 50%.

With mental health though, sometimes you need to hard reset yourself vs. trying to always push through and deal with it. To me, the benching was the only real way someone like Tocchet could tell him "look, what you're trying to do isn't working is not helping right now, you need to take a break" without it just coming across as empty words.

I've had to coach a lot of kids through mental health struggles, and each of them required a different approach based on their personality & temperment. Needless to say, I'm not surprised Tocchet took this path with someone like JT, whereas he might be a bit softer with other players (like Petey).

 

[Jay26]

I'm glad he's taking the time for whatever it is. I really wish Pettersson did. It sounds like (and looked like) he went through hell too, especially with his social media.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Coaching staff might want to re-think style of play and structure now.

Boring as hell, but a simple defensive first structure might be best.

Try to wait it out till (hopefully) Demko, Boeser and Miller and come back.

Give some more playing to younger guys (Lekk, Raty, EP2, etc.) and see what they got.

Vets (EP in particular) need to step up more than ever.

Stay positive.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

And The End. If you guys want to discuss it further, this is really not thread.

Yep yep yep.

I'm glad he's taking the time for whatever it is. I really wish Pettersson did. It sounds like (and looked like) he went through hell too, especially with his social media.

What do you mean..?

 

[Quinning]

Miller has always struck me as a "pull up your bootstraps" kind of guy, so for him to be taking time off gives me signals that this is not something minor. I'm not going to speculate on what it could be, but I don't expect him back until the All-Star break. January at the earliest. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[StickShift]

Hope all will be well with him, his family, and those around him.

Sometimes you have a season like 23-24 where everything seems to break right and things are going well. And then you have a season like 24-25 where it seems like nothing can go right.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Very concerning developments.

 

[Slapshot_11]

Hope hes good

This season is really turning upside down fast

 

[supercanuck]

I'm glad he's taking the time for whatever it is. I really wish Pettersson did. It sounds like (and looked like) he went through hell too, especially with his social media.

Could you imagine if he did though? The reaction would be insane if EP stepped away for a re-set due to his poor play.

 

[MS]

I think with this news, mixed with Boeser being out indefinitely, means the season needs to be seen as a write-off.

Keep the 1st rounder, give the kids more playing time and opportunity, but yeah. We aren't winning shit this season. I don't even think we're making the playoffs with our current roster.

What a disaster of a season. Feels like the complete opposite of past year. The fact that they're even 9-4-3 is due to a butter soft schedule.

Both of these guys could be back in a few weeks. Good grief.

I doubt Miller's 're-set' is going to be a 40-game layoff or something.

 

[pitseleh]

I think its almost beyond question that Miller has some injuries right now, so I find it really odd that he wasn't just held out for injury reasons as I don't think anyone would have batted an eye.

Now this from Ben Kuzma which makes it doubly weird.

Postmedia has learned that the absence is likely to do a suspected shoulder injury that has hampered Miller from performing at his customary peak level. He played just one preseason game and early in the regular season, he didn’t take draws after getting tangled up in a face-off. Miller needs to mend whatever is preventing him from driving the play.

Canucks vs. Rangers Game Day Update: J.T. Miller is taking leave of absence

J.T. Miller has left the Canucks and is taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, according to GM Patrik Allvin. Read on.

theprovince.com

 

[Quinning]

Both of these guys could be back in a few weeks. Good grief.

I doubt Miller's 're-set' is going to be a 40-game layoff or something.

All due respect MS - you don't know that it won't be 40 games or even longer.

Neither one of us should be speaking in certainties, of that much I agree with you. The important thing is that both players get what they need so they can come back physically & mentally healthy.

 

[MS]

All due respect MS - you don't know that it won't be 40 games or even longer.

Neither one of us should be speaking in certainties, of that much I agree with you. The important thing is that both players get what they need so they can come back physically & mentally healthy.

What on earth?

You're the one speculating that the 'season is over' based on zero evidence. You're the one literally speaking in certainties and writing the season off.

This is being framed as a 're-set'. It will probably be a couple weeks.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Could you imagine if he did though? The reaction would be insane if EP stepped away for a re-set due to his poor play.

I’m quite confident that if Pettersson had decided to take some time off after a stretch of poor play / injuries (so around March of last season let’s say) that the fans would be fully supportive.

It was only after a very poor playoff run and ~60 games over 9 months of poor play that most people really started to get fed up.

Which is why it’s a good thing that Miller didn’t just ignore whatever was going on and actually decided to take a step back now.

I think he will be back to his old self once he returns, whenever that is.

I’d rather him miss 20 games and come back himself than to play those 20 games when he’s not able to perform at his best. Because that would only frustrate him and the fans further.

 

[Quinning]

What on earth?

You're the one speculating that the 'season is over' based on zero evidence. You're the one literally speaking in certainties and writing the season off.

This is being framed as a 're-set'. It will probably be a couple weeks.

To clarify - I am backtracking my previous statement because I don't know that the season is a write-off, and it doesn't help to catastrophize anything. Not looking to start an argument or defend my position here. I'm owning that it was a stupid post made out of pure frustration.

I sincerely hope you're right and that he returns in a few weeks. That's where I'll leave it.

 

[Zaddy91]

I feel like our bottom 9 is being forged in adveristy right now.

 

[strattonius]

All due respect MS - you don't know that it won't be 40 games or even longer.

Neither one of us should be speaking in certainties, of that much I agree with you. The important thing is that both players get what they need so they can come back physically & mentally healthy.

Even if it is 40 games it's not enough to write off the season. Team needs to band together and chip in a little bit more than what we've currently had. The Oilers played and looked like a better team when McDavid was injured.

We all wanted JT to sit out from his injuries and now that that's become a reality some people are legit wanting to throw the season. Such loser mentality. I think the team will start to play better in his absence. And now he can heal up physically and mentally.

 

[Hansen]

I dont get why it would be called a personal leave of absence if he was injured. Just call it injury like you normally would. The only thing I could possibly think of is that he feels he was not being treated properly by team medical staff (there is precedent and cause for concern in this regard).

The language indicates it is more likely something with him or his family away from the game. And I'll leave it at that

 

[Quinning]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1858966901176889679

 

[RobertKron]

This is just showing your ignorance to mental health issues more than anything else. It doesn't make someone "weak" for needing to seek help or take some time off to reset themselves.

Beyond that, why would Miller be so insulted as to demand a trade and then agree to go along with the team making up a whole mysterious personal leave, and why would that even help anyone anyway when it's not like a team is going to be turned off by him wanting out but just totally overlook a player suddenly taking a mysterious leave of absence. Imagine genuinely believing that this is the simplest explanation.

 

[Canucker]

Now this from Ben Kuzma which makes it doubly weird.

Postmedia has learned that the absence is likely to do a suspected shoulder injury that has hampered Miller from performing at his customary peak level. He played just one preseason game and early in the regular season, he didn’t take draws after getting tangled up in a face-off. Miller needs to mend whatever is preventing him from driving the play.

Canucks vs. Rangers Game Day Update: J.T. Miller is taking leave of absence

J.T. Miller has left the Canucks and is taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, according to GM Patrik Allvin. Read on.

theprovince.com

On that one penalty kill that people were saying that got Miller benched for dogging it, he did kind of look like he was favoring his shoulder a little bit...at least it looked like it to me.

It's a long season and a guy who plays like Miller will wear down, I'd rather let him heal physically and mentally and get into a good space before it really festers and wears himself and the team down. Just glad its a "reset" (provided the reports are true) and not something more serious.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Incoming 110pt pace for EP.

He’s going to step it up and let Miller know “I got you” till he gets what he needs.

 

[supercanuck]

I’m quite confident that if Pettersson had decided to take some time off after a stretch of poor play / injuries (so around March of last season let’s say) that the fans would be fully supportive.

It was only after a very poor playoff run and ~60 games over 9 months of poor play that most people really started to get fed up.

Which is why it’s a good thing that Miller didn’t just ignore whatever was going on and actually decided to take a step back now.

I think he will be back to his old self once he returns, whenever that is.

I’d rather him miss 20 games and come back himself than to play those 20 games when he’s not able to perform at his best. Because that would only frustrate him and the fans further.

Maybe the team learned from the fault with how they handled EP earlier.

 

[Knight53]

Hope everything is good with Miller. Take your time, if he has to take the whole year off let it be. The draft this year is stackkked at the top could be a blessing in disguise.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Man, I hope he gets whatever help he needs and comes back when he’s ready and not before.