“One of the Better D-men in the League”: NHL Star Candid Confession After Teammate Gets ‘Hit in the Face’

The Vancouver Canucks, who had a rough season leading up to the NHL All-Star break, are mounting a strong comeback. The Canucks were previously the worst team in the NHL, and its supporters were furious with the organization for making moves they didn’t agree with, so returning to prominence seemed unlikely. Canucks new head coach Rick Tocchet has led them to success since the all-star break, and the team is now sitting well at 12th in the Western Conference. Canucks player J.T. Miller had some words for his teammate after the club’s most recent game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Forward J.T. Miller, who is having a decent NHL season, spoke highly of defender Quinn Hughes, who was instrumental in his team’s victory in overtime, in a postgame interview. Even though Miller and Hughes have a stormy past, the forward clearly harbors no ill will toward the younger player.

Now that’s pure teamwork

Rogers Arena in Vancouver recently hosted a tense contest between the Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks. With the club’s history of disappointment this season, the home squad knew they could not afford to lose in front of their supporters in their own stadium. A goal by Ducks forward Troy Terry four minutes into the contest put the visiting team in command. Yet the game was salvaged by two goals scored by Canucks forward J.T. Miller, with the last and most vital goal made possible by a fantastic assist by Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. Miller didn’t waste any time praising his buddy for giving him a great assist and taking a hit from the puck on his behalf.

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The post-game interview clip was uploaded on Glovey McGlovin’s YouTube channel. In the interview, Miller starts off by praising Hughes, and it just never ends, as he says, “He gets hit in the face more than anybody I’ve ever seen, but he’s a warrior, really. I mean, he plays 25 to 30 every single night in all situations and plays through everything, so he’s, uh, you know, a lot of times, our best player. He’s really taking a lot of strides in a leadership category on this team. You know he’s such a big part of our group, and, uh, he’s one of the better d-men in the league.” 

High hopes for the NHL team

At the beginning of the 2022–23 season, the Vancouver Canucks were hit hard by criticism from their own fan base. They just did not agree with the choices made by the Canucks’ upper management. The situation deteriorated to this point because the management fired coach Bruce Boudreau and then, shortly afterward, dealt away fan-favorite captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. The supporters went absolutely wild with rage at this news. The new head coach, Rick Tocchet, successfully contained the situation and gave the supporters what they wanted: a revival of the team’s fortunes in the league.

The Canucks have truly shown to the rest of the NHL after the all-star break that a club that was at the bottom can rise up the rankings and have legitimate hopes of making the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is still a long way to go for the team, as they are now in the 12th spot in the Western Conference with 59 points and need to be at least in the 8th spot to make the playoffs, where the Winnipeg Jets are with 75 points.

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What do you think of the Vancouver Canucks? Will they make it to the playoffs this season? Let us know in the comment section.