| J. T. Miller | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Miller with theTampa Bay Lightning | |||
| Born | (1993-03-14)March 14, 1993 (age 32) East Palestine, Ohio, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams | New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning Vancouver Canucks | ||
| National team |  United States | ||
| NHL draft | 15th overall,2011 New York Rangers | ||
| Playing career | 2012–present | ||
Jonathan Tanner Miller (born March 14, 1993) is an American professionalice hockey player who is aforward andcaptain for theNew York Rangers of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Rangers in the first round, 15th overall, of the2011 NHL entry draft. He has also played for theTampa Bay Lightning and theVancouver Canucks.
Miller was born on March 14, 1993, inEast Palestine,Ohio.[1] He was enrolled in theEast Palestine City School District and attended public school from kindergarten through 10th grade.[2] He began playing ice hockey at a young age and also participated in other organized athletics, includingbaseball andfootball. Miller played for several ice hockey teams from the age of five through 12 before ending up with the Pittsburgh Hornets from age 12 to age 16, as at the time his family was living in thePittsburgh suburb ofCoraopolis.[3] Miller played in the 2006Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Pittsburgh Hornetsminor ice hockey team.[4]
Miller began the2009–10 season with the U.S. NTDP of theUnited States Hockey League (USHL).[5] After two seasons playing in the program, he was selected in the first round, 15th overall, of the2011 NHL entry draft by theNew York Rangers.[6] The following day, Miller signed a contract to playmajor junior ice hockey with thePlymouth Whalers of theOntario Hockey League (OHL).[7]
Since Miller was drafted by the Rangers from the USHL, he was eligible to join theirAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theConnecticut Whale, as a teenager.[8] He joined the Whale for their run in the2012 Calder Cup playoffs once his first major junior season concluded. He recorded his first professional point, an assist, in the Whale's Game 1 3–2 overtime win against theNorfolk Admirals.[9][10] He finished the AHL postseason with one goal over eight games.[1] After the Whale were eliminated, Miller was added to the Rangers roster for the2012 Stanley Cup playoffs[11] but did not play a single game.[1]
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Miller returned to the Whale for their training camp before the start of their2012–13 season.[12][13] As one of the youngest players in the league,[8] Miller started the season with three assists over three games.[14] He also registered three goals and four assists through a seven-game span between December 1 and December 14.[15] He scored 16 points through his first 32 games[8] before joining Team USA for the2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[16] While Rangers assistant general managerJeff Gorton acknowledged Miller's slow adjustment period, he praised the forward's improvements.[17] After returning from the 2013 World Junior Championships with a gold medal,[18] Miller became the youngest player named to the 2013AHL All-Star Game.[19] When he was recalled to the NHL level on February 4, 2013, Miller was tied for sixth on the Whale with eight goals and 20 points.[15]
Miller made his NHL debut on February 5, 2013, against theNew Jersey Devils and recorded two shots on net.[20] After being kept pointless in his debut, he tallied his first two NHL goals atMadison Square Garden on February 7 against theNew York Islanders.[21] He subsequently became the first Rangers player to register a multi-goal game in his Madison Square Garden debut sinceChris Kontos in 1983, and the youngest player in franchise history to tally a multi-goal game sinceAlex Kovalev in 1992.[22] Due to theNHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Rangers had five games to decide whether they would send Miller down or burn off a year of his contract.[23] After choosing to keep him at the NHL level,[23] Miller recorded two goals and two assists over 26 games. Before he returned to the AHL in April, head coachJohn Tortorella praised him for his ability to swiftly adapt to playing at the NHL level at a young age.[24] Miller finished the season with eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points through 42 games. He ranked third among team rookies in assists, tied for third in points and ranked fourth in goals.[25] After the Whale's season concluded, Miller was added to the Rangers roster for the2013 Stanley Cup playoffs,[26] but did not play in a game.[1]
Over the 2013 offseason, the Rangers replaced Tortorella as head coach withAlain Vigneault.[27] Miller returned to the Rangers 2013 training camp out of shape[28] and suffered ahamstring injury during conditioning laps.[29] He began the2013-14 season with the Rangers AHL affiliate, theHartford Wolf Pack. In his season debut on October 5, he scored two goals and an assist.[30] Under Vigneault, Miller consistently fell down the line-up and was reassigned to the AHL six different times through the2013–14 season.[28] While Miller later credited Vigneault for helping him develop maturely as a player and as an individual,[31] he acknowledges that he "wasn’t the most coachable" as a 20-year-old.[28] Through 30 games with the Rangers, Miller had recorded three goals and three assists. Before demoting Miller for the final time of the regular season, Vigneault called him out and said he needed to see "more commitment."[32]
Miller finished his second season with the Wolf Pack with 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points. He was recalled to the Rangers on April 14 to join their roster for the2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.[33] He made his debut in Game 5 of theEastern Conference first round against thePhiladelphia Flyers. In his debut, he recorded an assist onBrad Richards goal in the second period to help the Rangers win 4–2.[34] Miller played in three more playoff games, and added two assists, before suffering an injury in Game 4 of theEastern Conference finals.[35]
Unlike the previous season, Miller returned to New York six weeks before training camp began to stay in shape.[28] He was named to the Rangers' opening night roster[36] but was reassigned to the AHL after going pointless through three games.[37][38] Upon joining the Wolf Pack, Miller registered six goals and nine assists through 18 games.[39] Due to an injury toChris Kreider, Miller was promoted from the AHL on November 28, 2014 and shifted from centre towing.[39][37] Over his first four games as the Rangers second line winger, he tallied two goals.[37] While he was a healthy scratch five times through February 4, 2015, his confidence as a player grew and he began earning the coaching staff's trust.[40] This trust allowed him to play alongside a variety of teammates includingCarl Hagelin andKevin Hayes.[41] Miller was put with Hayes and Hagelin due to an injury to Jesper Fast in early February,[42] and they combined for 27 points through their first 16 games.[43] When Martin St. Louis was sidelined due to an injury in late March, Miller was promoted the Rangers' second line withDerek Stepan and Kredier. Over the four games St. Louis missed, Miller scored the game-winning assist and game-winning goal in two separate games.[44] His game-winning goal on April 2 allowed the Rangers to clinch first place in the Eastern Conference and set a new franchise record for most road wins in a season.[45] Miller concluded the regular season with a career-high 10 goals and 13 assists.[41]
Due to their regular season success, Miller remained on the Rangers' second line to open Game 1 of the2015 Stanley Cup playoffs against thePittsburgh Penguins.[44] After going pointless in Game 1, Miller tallied his first playoff point in Game 2 with an assist on Stepan's first period goal.[46] The trio were split up in theEastern Conference second round against theWashington Capitals. After losing Game 1, Vigneault promotedJesper Fast and demoted Miller to play with Hayes andCarl Hagelin.[47] Miller assisted on Hayes' second period goal in Game 7 to help the Rangers advance to theEastern Conference Finals.[48] After the Rangers lost Game 2 of the Conference Finals, Vigneault moved Miller onto a line withDerick Brassard andRick Nash late in Game 3.[49][50] They remained a unit through Games 4 and 5 before breaking out in Game 6 with a combined total of five goals and 13 points. This marked the first time in franchise history that three players had receded four or more points in the same game.[49] After the Rangers were eliminated in Game 7, Miller finished the playoffs with one goal and seven assists through 19 games. On July 15, Miller agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Rangers.[51]
After signing the new contract, Miller spent the entirety of the2015–16 season with the Rangers for the first time in his NHL career.[52] Due to his versatile play, Vigneault was able to play him at centre, right wing, and left wing positions when needed.[53] While Miller experienced lengthy scoring droughts throughout the season,[54] he finished with new career-highs in goals, assists, and points.[52] Although Miller played on the Ranger's top line during the preseason, Vigneault demoted him to the fourth line withOscar Lindberg andViktor Stalberg in favor of Hayes.[55] Miller started the season by setting a new personal record for most points in a regular-season period.[56] While he struggled to score goals[54] his responsible style of play earned him Vigneault's trust and was promoted to the Rangers' second line in November.[57][58] After recording only one goal through 14 games in November,[54] assistant coachDarryl Williams spoke to Miller about finding consistency. Following this conversation, Miller said he "resorted to playing hard and keeping it simple."[59]
By the start of January, Miller had started 16 games as the third line left wing, centered the third line once, and played on its right wing seven times.[53] He eventually settled onto the Rangers third line withMats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard.[60] Upon joining this line, Miller began to see an uptick in scoring and quickly recorded five goals over six games from January 17 to January 25.[61] Brassard and Miller remained together on the Ranger's third line, but Zuccarello was replaced with Jespeer Fast at the beginning of February. At this time, Miller had recorded eight goals through eight games and 16 points overall.[62] By February 12, Miller had already established new career highs with 17 goals, 30 points, and five game-winning goals.[63] However, following a demotion to the Ranger's fourth line in early March,[64] the Miller-Brassard-Zuccarello line only played together once over the final 16 games of the regular season.[65] He finished the regular season with a career-high 22 goals, 21assists, and 43 points through 82 games.[52] In the2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Miller recorded no goals and three assists in their five-game first-round loss to the Penguins.[54] He signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract extension with the Rangers on July 13, 2016.[52]
Due to his play in previous years, Vigneault started Miller on the Rangers' regular penalty-kill unit for the first time to begin the2016–17 season.[66] Miller shifted positions numerous times throughout October but typically played as a left winger.[67] He registered a point in six of the Rangers' first nine games and tied his single-game career-high with three points on October 30.[68] At the end of October and into November, Miller was reunited on a line with Hayes and Grabner.[69] Over their first five games together, they combined for 12 goals and 11 assists.[70] On November 6, 2016, Miller became the first Rangers player to record 12 or more assists in the team's first 16 games sinceVinny Prospal in 2009.[71] By December 1, Miller had recorded a point in 14 of the Rangers' 16 wins and was tied for the team lead with 19 points overall.[72] In response to Vigneault demoting him to the fourth line on December 27, he scored seven goals and 20 points over 16 games. He described the demotion as a "wake up call" and was soon reunited with Hayes and Grabner.[73] However, his lack of consistency was again critiqued by Vigneault as he went through another goalless drought in February and March.[74] Miller finished the regular-season leading all Rangers in goals with 22 and ranked third with 34 assists. His efforts helped the Rangers qualify for the2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they faced theMontreal Canadiens for the first time since 2014.[75] Over their first round series, Miller played alongside Hayes and Mats Zuccarello.[76] He struggled to match his regular-season prowess and went pointless through the first five games of the series. His first point of the playoffs was an assist on Zuccarello's second goal in Game 6 to help the Rangers qualify for theEastern Conference second round.[77] Miller added two more assists over the Rangers' six game series against theOttawa Senators for a total of three points.[1]
Due to an offseason trade, the Rangers planned on moving Miller into a centre position on their third line for the2017–18 season.[78][79] However, Vigneault later announced that Miller would start the season in his usual winger position due to the impressive play of other centers at training camp.[80] He was subsequently reunited on a line with Hayes and Grabner.[81] In his 200th regular-season game on October 8, Miller notched an assist on the game-winning goal to lift the Rangers over the Canadiens.[82] He tallied one goal and six assists over the final eight games of October to finish the month with a total of 10 points.[83] In mid-November, Miller was moved from wing to center to replaceDavid Desharnais and gained Grabner and Zuccarello as his wingers.[84] He remained in this position until December 22 when he was shifted to right wing alongsideBoo Nieves andPaul Carey.[85] By mid-February, Miller ranked second on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 27 assists through 63 games.[86]
On February 26, 2018, Miller was traded, along withRyan McDonagh, to theTampa Bay Lightning in exchange forLibor Hájek,Brett Howden,Vladislav Namestnikov, a2018 first-round pick and a conditional2019 second-round pick.[86] Over his first six games with the Lightning, Miller tallied four points and was promoted to the team's top line. While playing on this line, Miller scored his first NHLhat trick in a loss to the Ottawa Senators on March 13.[87] Miller scored the game-winning goal against the New York Islanders on March 22 to help the Lightning break their franchise record for most goals in a season. At the time, Miller had recorded seven goals with the Lightning through 11 games.[88] He finished the regular season with a total of 23 goals and 35 assists for a career-high 58 points.[89]
His efforts helped the Lightning quality for the2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they faced the New Jersey Devils in theEastern Conference first round. In Game 4, Miller scored his first goal of the postseason, and second of his career, and added two assists.[90] He finished the series with four points as the Lightning advanced to theEastern Conference second round against the Boston Bruins.[91] The Lightning's top line, consisting of Miller,Steven Stamkos, andNikita Kucherov, struggled with scoring through the first two games of the series.[92] Miller scored his second goal of the playoffs, and first game-winner, in Game 5 to lead the Lightning to a 4–1 series win over the Bruins.[93] He remained on the Lightning's top line through Games 1 and 2 of theEastern Conference finals but was demoted to their third line for Game 3.[94] Once the Lightning were eliminated from the playoffs, Miller signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract to remain with the team on June 26.[89]
Miller returned to the Lightning's top line with Stamkos and Kucherov to start the2018–19 season. On October 31, he recorded his 200th NHL point, an assist, in an 8–3 win over the New Jersey Devils.[95] Following a game against thePhiladelphia Flyers on December 27, Miller was placed on long term injured reserve. At the time, Miller had scored seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points.[96] He returned to the Lightning's lineup on January 12, 2019 after missing six games with an upper-body injury.[97] Despite winning thePresidents' Trophy as the team with the best overall record during the regular season, the Lightning were swept in four games by the Blue Jackets in theirfirst round series.[98]
On June 22, 2019, Miller was traded to theVancouver Canucks in exchange forMarek Mazanec, a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional2020 first-round pick.[99] Miller began the2019–20 season with a career-high four points, one goal and three assists, in the Canucks home opener against the Los Angeles Kings.[100] His four points also tiedGreg Adams andTony Tanti's franchise record for points in a home opener.[101][102] A few games later, Miller became one of nine Canucks players in franchise history to score two power-play goals in one game.[103] On October 28, Miller scored his 100th and 101st career goals in a 7–2 win over theFlorida Panthers.[104] He subsequently became the 14th member of the 2011 draft class to reach the 100-goal milestone.[105] Between November 21 and December 7, Miller maintained an eight game point streak.[106] During this streak, Miller scored his 10th goal of the season on November 25,[31] and became the 14th player in franchise history with 24 or more points through his first 25 regular-season games.[107] Through the final week of January, Miller tallied three goals and four assists through four games. The NHL recognized his efforts at the end of the month and he was named one of theNHL's 'Three Stars' of the Week.[108] He continued to collect points through February and tied two franchise records.[109] On March 6, he became the fourth player in franchise history to record 70 points in his first season with the team,[110] and one of three players in franchise history to record at least 20 multi-point games in his first season with the team.[111]
When the NHLreturned to play for the2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canucks moved into the Edmontonbubble along with 11 other Western Conference teams.[112] Following the Western Conference qualifying round, the Canucks faced off against theSt. Louis Blues in thefirst round.[113] Miller tallied a point over the first five games of the series to help the Canucks eliminate the Blues in six games and advance to thesecond round.[114] He added one goal and seven assists to his points total as the Canucks pushed theVegas Golden Knights to a Game 7.[115]
When the Canucks began experiencing a COVID-19 breakout in April 2021, Miller raised concerns about the health and safety protocols put into place by the NHL.[116][117]
On January 25, 2022, Miller was activated off of the Canucks COVID-19 protocol list.[118] Two days later, he recorded his second career hat trick in a 5-1 win over theWinnipeg Jets.[119] On September 2, Miller signed a seven-year, $56 million contract extension with the Canucks.[120] On April 11, 2023, Miller scored his 200th NHL goal during the Canucks' penultimate game of the season, a 3–2 win over theAnaheim Ducks.[121]
Miller set numerous personal records during the2023–24 season. On January 13, 2024, Miller was named anNHL All-Star for the first time in his career.[122] The following month, he recorded his third career hat-trick in a 10–7 loss to theMinnesota Wild.[123] On April 8, Miller became the seventh player in franchise history to score 100 points in a single season.[124] Two days later, in a game against theArizona Coyotes, Miller became the second fastest player in franchise history to score 400 points.[125] He finished the season with career-highs in goals, assists, and points.[126]
On January 31, 2025, Miller was traded back to the New York Rangers, along withErik Brännström andJackson Dorrington, in exchange forFilip Chytil,Victor Mancini, and a2025 first-round pick.[127] Miller was traded by the Canucks after team presidentJim Rutherford acknowledged there had been an ongoing rift between both Miller andElias Pettersson and that finding a solution might require difficult decisions, potentially including trading one of them.[128]
On September 16, 2025, before the start of the 2025–26 season, Miller was named the 29th captain in Rangers history, succeedingJacob Trouba.[129]
 Miller at the2012 World Junior Championship | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'sice hockey | ||
| Representing United States | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2013 Ufa | |
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| 2011 Germany | |
| World U-17 Hockey Challenge | ||
| 2010 Ontario | |
Miller represented theUnited States junior team at the2012 World Junior Championships, where he played in six games, scoring two goals and two assists.[130][131] He was also selected to represent the United States at the2013 World Junior Championships, where he led the team with seven assists and tied for the team lead with nine points, winning a gold medal in the process.[132]
Miller representedTeam North America, a team consisting of players aged 23 and under, in the2016 World Cup of Hockey, but only appeared in one game.[133]
On January 2, 2026, he was named to Team USA's roster for the2026 Winter Olympics.[134]
Miller and his wife have two daughters and one son.[135][136]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 29 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 17 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 21 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 35 | 12 | 23 | 35 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011-12 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 61 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 61 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 2011–12 | Connecticut Whale | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Connecticut Whale | AHL | 42 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 26 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 30 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 41 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 18 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | New York Rangers | NHL | 58 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 22 | 34 | 56 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 21 | ||
| 2017–18 | New York Rangers | NHL | 63 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 19 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 15 | ||
| 2018–19 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 75 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 69 | 27 | 45 | 72 | 47 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 14 | ||
| 2020–21 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 53 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 80 | 32 | 67 | 99 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 81 | 32 | 50 | 82 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 81 | 37 | 66 | 103 | 58 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 2024–25 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 40 | 9 | 26 | 35 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | New York Rangers | NHL | 32 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 871 | 260 | 449 | 709 | 496 | 91 | 12 | 44 | 56 | 66 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | United States | U17 |  | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 28 | |
| 2011 | United States | U18 | | 6 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 6 | |
| 2012 | United States | WJC | 7th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013 | United States | WJC | | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Team North America | WCH | 5th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | United States | 4NF | 2nd | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Junior totals | 25 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 36 | ||||
| Senior totals | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Star Game | 2024 | |
| Vancouver Canucks | ||
| Fred J. Hume Award | 2020 | |
| Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award | 2022 | |
| Cyrus H. McLean Trophy | 2022 | |
| Three Stars Award | 2022 | |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | New York Rangers first round draft pick 2011 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | New York Rangers captain 2025–present | Incumbent |