Former Canucks Center Speaks On Reported Rift Between Miller & Pettersson

Former Vancouver Canucks are now weighing in on the reported rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. On the "New Year's Special" episode of the Missin Curfew podcast, former Canucks center Brad Richardson shared that there was tension between the two stars going back to 2021-22. While Richardson was only part of the organization for 17 games that season, he was able to witness the relationship up close and revealed how there were issues three years ago.

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Richardson responded to the reported rift by saying, "Let me tell you this, and I'll be super honest with you. I was in that dressing room with those guys. I love J.T., love him. He's a f***ing animal. But I even told him. I said, Hey, you're too hard on this kid. Yeah, you're too hard on him. And I said, I know you're saying exactly what I think, but he's a kid that doesn't take when you're on him. When you're on him, he's gonna shut it down. I told him, like, Hey, you're gonna lose this guy if you keep doing it. That's what I said to him. Hey, J.T. is the man, but there is a lot of tension, and something's gonna give, I guarantee you. And I'm not saying you have to love every guy on your team. It helps, but something's gonna give there. So we'll see. That was my take from the dressing room. I'm like, Hey, you have to ease up a little bit because he's not the guy you can push that far."

After Richardson's explanation, the host, Shane O'Brien, who also played for Vancouver, gave his thoughts on what the Canucks should do next. The former NHL defenceman said, "I don't know what Patterson is going through, but when you sign for 92 bananas, there comes some pressure, right? And, and you, Richie, you know, I love J.T. Miller, and if there is a problem between the two of them, if I'm the GM, I'm trading Pettersson. I don't care what anyone says in Vancouver. I love J.T. Miller."

O'Brien also offered a trade proposal. The deal was a one-for-one trade that would see Pettersson head to the New York Islanders for Mathew Barzal. O'Brien explained that the deal would work because Barzal would be able to play close to home while Pettersson would be reunited with Bo Horvat in New York.

Related: Canucks’ Pettersson Speaks On Reported Rift With Miller

It is important to note that both Miller and Pettersson recently denied that there is a rift between the two. That being said, this story is now taking on a life of its own and clearly having an impact on the team's performance. It has even gotten to the point where both Quinn Hughes and Rick Tocchet had to comment on the situation. With Vancouver currently out of a playoff spot, the organization needs to find a way to fix this issue immediately; otherwise, it could cost the Canucks a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.