Canucks Coffee: Lack of respect divides J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson


Whether the lack of respect between Miller and Pettersson is about the player, person, or paycheque — or all of the above — nobody is mending the fence.

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You do this job long enough and you’re exposed to just about everything imaginable with the Vancouver Canucks.

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I have witnessed impactful personalities, who with a dutiful demeanour or menacing presence, brought a galvanizing energy and pied-piper effect in the locker room. I’ve also seen inflated egos, indifference to direction, independent-contractor personas, and the clash of personalities.

Todd Bertuzzi was no day at the beach. He was rough and gruff, but the imposing winger also packed the right stuff.

He would even challenge what you wrote and sometimes it lead to a heated debate. His dominant production and presence extended to getting the most out of teammates.

And if there was a culture problem in the room — somebody squawking about the vibe or a rookie bemoaning a lack of playing time — he would seek it out and snuff it out.

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Bertuzzi, Naslund would bicker

Bertuzzi would also bicker and chirp linemate and captain Markus Naslund like they were an old married couple. However, the polar opposites — Bertuzzi the testosterone-charged, alpha-male Canadian and Naslund the quiet and respectful Swede — knew being frank and fair with each other led to respect and resolved to grind it out for good of the team. And not them.

At end of the day, they would have a good laugh and get back to leading the high-scoring club. You don’t pile up 272 points in the 2003-04 season as the famed West Coast Express, which included Brendan Morrison at centre, without debates in how to go about it and that turned up the temperature.

It was quite common.

Ryan Kesler was a moody and brooding centre of too much media attention. It rubbed the Selke Trophy winner the wrong way and the trickle-down effect could be felt in the room. There was that uneasiness, but I always enjoyed the challenge of getting Kesler to open up. And he did.

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He was harder on the opposition than us, but it got to the point where scrutiny led to a trade suggestion and completion and an exit to Anaheim.

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J.T. Miller celebrates his overtime winner against the Capitals with Elias Pettersson on Feb. 11, 2024 at Washington. Photo by Nick Wass /AP

Which brings us to J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson and the continuing sorry saga of the great personality divide. They are like oil and water, they just don’t mix.

Miller is the loud-and-proud, old-school, stick-slamming, F-bomb dropping dynamo, who commands the room with bark and bite because he often backs it up by dragging the Canucks into the fight.

Pettersson is the quiet and reserved star with a variety of interests and has always believed his playmaking ability and strong two-way game can do all the talking.

You have to think they tolerated each other last season because, let’s face it, winning solves everything. Or at least it can turn down the heat on the discord and send it to the back burner until it flares up again. And, of course it did.

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It’s to the point where Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is considering trading Miller or Pettersson, or even both, to bring back team harmony. The players aren’t blind or deaf. They see and hear the discord, but what if the Canucks remain in playoff contention?

What if the club is best served by pressing on and dealing with Miller and/or Pettersson at the trade deadline, if out of contention, or at end of the season? That’s probably an easier sell to ownership that getting pennies on the dollar in one-sided trades because the desperate Canucks don’t have leverage.

It would also help if the Canucks had a mediator in the room, someone who can reach both parties on a different level and bridge the respect gap. Former Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau recently told Postmedia he was aware of the disconnect.

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‘There’s no doubt there’s friction’

“There’s no doubt there’s friction because the personalities are so different,” said Boudreau. “The alpha (Miller) can control the room, but one of the great things when I was there was (Tanner) Pearson being a real conduit.

“He sat beside Petey and was a really good friend with Miller. He did a lot of smoothing things out. I don’t think they have that one guy like that anymore, maybe Tyler Myers.”

It’s not unusual to be in a situation where you’re at odds with a colleague. You simple don’t see the world or the occupation in the same manner and that’s never going to be resolved. You still have to work together for betterment of the product, but you don’t have to become besties.

And quite frankly, let’s be honest about it all. There’s something missing here between Miller and Pettersson. Whether the lack of respect is about the player, the person, or the paycheque — or all of the above — nobody is making a move to mend the fence.

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I believe Miller and Pettersson are grateful to reside in a world-class city and for everything the sport has provided to live an idyllic lifestyle. Miller puts up with Lions Gate traffic snarl because his family resides in picturesque West Vancouver. And he’s close to a private golf course.

Pettersson also has a life outside the game and has interest in music and fashion. And in that respect, they have a connection but it’s away from the arena.

What’s in it for me?

The game has also come to a place where star young players know their place in the game and what that’s worth.

Former NHL head coach Ken Hitchcock learned the hard way that he couldn’t deliver a heavy-handed approach. A two-way dialogue was imperative with skilled and smart players. The kids were bright and had insight in how to reach contract bonuses.

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“The big change is we’ve blown through millennials now — we’re into the ‘I’ generation,” stressed Hitchcock. “You have to tell them everything. Even before you finish your conversation, you have to tell them what’s in it for them, because they’re not going to buy in if you don’t tell them what to do and how.”

And how that plays out in any room can bring a variety of responses from acceptable to a level of acrimony.

It’s why Canucks captain Quinn Hughes is such a refreshing example of how every player should strive to conduct himself. A strong family sporting lineage taught the Norris Trophy winner respect and resolve, and above all, being a good teammate.

And to his credit, Hughes has led by example. He has taken his game to another level, has played through pain, and always addresses the good and bad of team fortunes with measured and thoughtful responses.

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You’d think that would be help mediate any discord between players. What happened to we instead of me? What happened to being grateful?

The sad part of all this is that it could give Hughes, the ultimate team player, cause to wonder about his future in Vancouver. A fractured environment leads to trade departures and a re-tool or even a rebuild isn’t what he signed up for.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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