exclusive New York Rangers The growth — and reasons for hope — J.T. Miller’s found in first season as Rangers captain By Mollie Walker Published April 15, 2026, 7:15 p.m. ET J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers pursues the puck during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres. Getty Images J.T. Miller was tested in his first season as captain of the Rangers.
All leaders on struggling teams are, but Miller isn’t cut from the same cloth as some of his NHL counterparts who always seem to know the right things to do and say. Chris Drury had options who would fit that more traditional mold, but the Rangers president and general manager stitched the “C” into Miller’s No. 8 jersey for all of what separates him from the others.
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The gravity of Miller’s emotional presence has been both a blessing and a curse.
The Blueshirts’ turbulent season naturally felt long for Miller, who cited the emotions of the organization’s redirection, the trades and the team’s futility at home as weighing the heaviest.
