J.T. Miller makes his feelings clear on being traded to NY Rangers by Vancouver Canucks

J.T. Miller is happy to be back with the New York Rangers. Miller and the Rangers enter the 4 Nations face-off break with a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is part of the Team USA roster in the tournament captained by forward Auston Matthews.

Speaking to the media weeks after a shocking trade that sent him to his former team, Miller said he felt lucky to receive a warm welcome.

"Tons of friends around the area and the welcoming I got coming back was astounding," Miller said. "Just so much support from my family and I just feel crazy lucky everything worked out the way it did."

Miller has a childhood friend and teammate in the New York Rangers - Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck was excited about J.T. Miller's trade.

“He’s my best friend in the world,” Trocheck said after Miller's trade from Canucks to his Rangers. “I think this had been a pipe dream for - 10 years in the making, I feel like. Obviously came in the League around the same time. Grew up since we were nine years old together, live about 500 yards from each other back in Pittsburgh. Our kids are really close.”

Both played youth hockey in Pittsburgh and Miller has been staying at his house after the trade.

The Canucks- Rangers trade following months-long J.T. Miller's drama

The Rangers traded for J.T. Miller on January 31, sending Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round pick to Vancouver. New York also received Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington. The trade happened after reports of tension between Miller and Elias Pettersson.

Canucks president Jim Rutherford admitted their strained relationship had affected the team.

“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford said in a statement to the Globe and Mail. “But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again."

J.T. Miller started his NHL career with the Rangers, who drafted him 15th overall in 2011. Since rejoining the team, he has two goals and two assists in five games. Before the trade, he had nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games with Vancouver. Last season, he led the Canucks with a career-high 103 points.

Miller will face Pettersson when Team USA plays Sweden next Monday in the 4 Nations tournament. The U.S. plays Finland first on Thursday.