The Vancouver Canucks recent performance has sent mixed signals to the hockey fans. While they’ve won only four of their last six games, two of those wins came against heavy hitters like the Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals. However, Canucks president Jim Rutherford’s confession on Monday may have shed some light on the reason behind their inconsistency.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail’s Gary Mason, Mr. Rutherford admitted to something fans have been speculating about for some time: a rift between star players J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Reports connecting players to trade rumors meant fans knew something was wrong with the Vancouver Canucks. Now the president has confirmed those reports.

The Canucks president admitted that they do not want to trade either player, but the rift is becoming problematic. In fact, he isn’t confident tensions will die down even if the Canucks go on a dominant run of victories. “Does that make the players feel better? Does that make these two individuals feel better?… All those factors play into the decision,” Rutherford said about trading the stars.

“We don’t want to trade these players. But we may very well be forced to,” Rutherford told Mason, who revealed these quotes exclusively on X. Jim Rutherford’s confession came shortly after the Canucks GM Patrik Allvin shut down rumors of trading Elias Pettersson. “I feel like he’s about to take steps here and get back to his level that he is capable of,” Alvin declared to NHL.com.

However, the Canucks President’s confession paints a different picture than the one Alvin portrayed. What more? It’s not like the NHL team hasn’t assisted in helping the players eliminate their rift. Rutherford also explained that this isn’t a new problem, but rather an entrenched one that he can’t seem to solve.

The Canucks president revealed the harsh reality

The Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations revealed that they have been trying to solve this issue for a while. Miller and Pettersson have been teammates since 2020, so it took years for the rift to form and reach this seemingly irreparable state. Meantime, the Canucks have tried to eliminate the rift between their two stars but failed to find a long-term solution.

The Canucks president even spoke about feeling hopeful about solving the issue initially. “I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford confessed during the interview. However, all their efforts have turned out to be band-aids on a gaping wound.

While conscious efforts from everyone involved have seemingly eased the issue in the past, the rift has reappeared. “Sometimes emotions get deep and as much as people try sometimes you can’t get over it,” said President Rutherford while elaborating on the ill-will the players harbor toward one another. So despite their best efforts, it seems the Vancouver Canucks might be forced to trade either or both players for the greater interest of the team.