J.T. Miller Finally Hints At What Really Happened With Pettersson

Nearly two years after the J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson rift blew up the Vancouver Canucks’ locker room, Miller seemed to finally break his silence, revealing in a very informal golf video that he went to rehab over the allegations of bullying his teammate.

On a recent episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets “Sandbagger Scramble,” host Paul Bissonnette chirped Miller mid-backswing: “Getting bullied more than Petey on the Canucks!” Miller, unbothered, ripped a300-plus drive right down the middle of the fairway. He picked up his tee and fired back: “In my backswing is crazy.” He then walked past the guys and said, “Hey listen, it doesn’t need to be edited out, but Petey in my backswing is crazy… I went to rehab for that.”

Whether he assumed the comment would be edited out, he’d be taken seriously, or he wanted it to be, Miller was either poking fun at the reports or admitting that he did go to some kind of counseling when that drama between himself and Pettersson got out of hand.

The latest Spittin' Chiclets video might bring back some tough memories for #Canucks fans.

Biz chirping J.T. Miller in the middle of his backswing about Petey.

J.T. answered back: "Petey in my backswing is crazy…I went to rehab for that."

📽️: Spittin' Chiclets/YT pic.twitter.com/LXh0R6QZgS

— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) August 27, 2026

Until this video, nobody was really talking. It’s definitely Miller’s first real acknowledgment of what actually happened during Miller’s mysterious month-long absence in November and December 2024. At the time, the team said only that he was away for “personal reasons.” Patrick Johnston of The Province writes:

“What we now gather is that he did seek out some kind of treatment, though it was not part of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. When Miller returned in mid-December, he repeatedly denied reports of a rift between him and Pettersson, but by the end of the season the rift would become widely acknowledged. It’s clear that the rift shattered the dressing room, adding an emotional weight to everything that the players were simply unable to overcome.”

Miller returned in mid-December and continued to deny issues with Pettersson. Of course, by then, everyone knew the whole truth wasn’t being acknowledged. It was clear a problem existed, and Miller was ultimately traded to the New York Rangers on January 31, 2025. This after the Canucks suggested they weren’t trading the forward.

The fallout led the Canucks to make major changes. Miller was gone. Rick Tocchet later declined the option to stay on as coach and left for the Philadelphia Flyers. Vancouver eventually dealt captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota as it pivoted to a rebuild. A new GM was named, Manny Malhotra was hired as coach, and the Sedin twins were brought in. Pettersson has remained, but his production hasn’t fully recovered, and talk of a possible trade has continued.

Things were trending in a bad direction before, but the Miller and Pettersson issues really tipped the scales. Miller finally seems ready to share some of the details.

Next: Will Maple Leafs Realize They Made a Huge Goaltending Mistake?