VANCOUVER — Vancouver Canucks centre J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave from the team for “personal reasons.”
General manager Patrik Allvin announced the news in a statement Tuesday, saying the club’s focus is making sure Miller knows “the entire organization is here to support him.”
Miller, 31, has six goals and 10 assists in 17 games for Vancouver this season, and is second on the team in points behind captain Quinn Hughes (18 points).
“Obviously he’s a massive part of our team and a superstar in the league. So any time you miss a guy like that, you’re going to feel it,” Hughes said.
“But at the same time, we have a lot of confidence in the guys we have here. Coming into the year we thought we had a contending team, and it’s not just one guy, it’s our whole group. And we’re very confident who we have in here.”
Miller played just two shifts in the third period in the Canucks’ last game, a 5-3 loss to the visiting Nashville Predators on Sunday.
“Don’t speculate, please, guys. It’s got nothing to do with the benching,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday when asked about Miller’s leave of absence. “… He’s a family member here, we’re going to support him.
Miller posted a career-high 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists) last season.
The six-foot-one, 218-pound forward from East Palestine, Ohio, was selected 15th overall by the Rangers in the 2011 draft and has played for New York, Vancouver and the Tampa Bay Lightning over 13 NHL seasons.
“Obviously, a very big hole to fill. But we wish him well in his personal matter, and we’re here to support him, the whole organization,” said Canucks centre Elias Pettersson.
“The player will be hard to replace. But that means other guys gotta step up, have an opportunity to step up and get chances. So it takes a whole team effort tonight to move forward.”
The Canucks were already without some key players, including goalie Thatcher Demko (knee), sniper Brock Boeser (upper body) and defenceman Derek Forbort (lower body).
Tocchet said Boeser and Forbort both skated on Tuesday, and that Demko has strung several good practices together.
The team may be without Conor Garland when Vancouver hosts the New York Rangers on Tuesday, though, as the winger awaits the birth of his first child.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of stuff. Dakota’ (Joshua’s) cancer, there’s a lot of stuff that’s been thrown at this team. But we’ve got a pretty good record, considering a lot of stuff,” Tocchet said.
“And you look around the league, teams are going through it, and we’re a resilient group, and there’s going to be some guys that we’re going to rely on, obviously, to get their game going. But also some good young players here, they get a chance to play. I think that’s a it’s a positive in that respect.”
— With files from Sportsnet Staff
