i do think the focus on pettersson and miller not getting along is probably not a very accurate summary of the situation. i think miller thinks of himself as a leader but is not very good at it and probably alienates and resents those who don't also think of him as a leader. primarily in this case pettersson but also i bet others. there's been rumours about the canucks dressing room being a hostile and uncomfortable place for years now. miller is not the only rumoured "bad egg" in the room
i think miller's time away from the team was probably a result of the friction over this issue rising to unhealthy levels. it's not just that pettersson likes edm and miller likes country music and they argue over the post game music. if that were the case i like to think they're both adult enough they could just avoid each other. it's gotta be more serious
there's probably a route to resolving it but the coaching staff and leadership group need to get things under control. right now it's plain it's completely out of control. moving miller is my preference but i also don't like him as a player. he's lazy, entitled and i don't think he's as good as he thinks he is
I think there is a path here where Miller is overbearing and some of what you described but also where he's completely OCD about winning a cup while he has the chance and it just eats away and drives him mental that a guy like Pettersson and i'm sure there are others are not as emotionally and physically invested in his eyes and it's slipping away for him as he's now 31.
For Pettersson in isolation. it's very plausible that some of the videos of him mocking JTs immature behaviour, gaming, playing coy about wanting to be a Canuck then getting that massive contract playing like crap with a embarrassing playoff performance followed with excuses had Miller beyond triggered. After a poor start it exasperated things
Both struggling out of the gate then the practice incident followed by a benching and Miller likely came unglued behaved inappropriately which led to the mental health reset.
I agree about the ego thing. I can see where Miller after last years tremendous season got so full of himself that he was becoming this unbearable alpha bully and it wasn't just a Pettersson Miller thing but someone that needs to check himself and realize he should just worry about his own game and let the coaches and players sort out their own issues. He made that clear and was fully accountable for it in the interview last night.
This has been overblown in the sense of an irreparable immature divorce and this is where the media is being sensational and negative. Hook line and sinker for the soap opera seekers
Ultimately someone needs to take a step back (Miller) and another needs to take one forward (Pettersson) The team needs its 2 best forwards to get on the same page and pull on the rope together. This is what Tocchet and Hughes have alluded to.
It's always going to be a bit of a Yin and Yang thing with 9 and 40 they are polarizing personalities.
It also needs 2 good defenceman so it can compete and score without Hughes on the ice which has led to a lot of frustration. How can it not. It's been a massive set back and the mistake of the off season which has made everyone relied upon to scores job harder that doesn't have 43 with them.
Everyone else just needs to stop picking sides because when they do they make it worse.