JT Miller makes a statement and clears the air with Vancouver media

Vancouver Canucks forward JT Miller has officially re-joined the team and will suit up tonight when the Canucks take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Miller made the announcement to media himself. He also got in front of the rumors that have circulating about him and his family, stating that he wouldn't be answering questions from the media regarding his self-imposed leave of absence.

"I am playing tonight and I really would appreciate if we just stayed away from the reasons why I wasn't here. You can ask all you want, but I'm not going to dive into the reasons why I wasn't here with the team the last three or four weeks. I'm here, I'm with the team and I'm ready to look forward to what's going to happen in the future, not necessarily what has happened in the past."

- JT Miller

When asked specifically, "How are you doing?", Miller deflected a bit saying, "Uh.... I'm excited to play."

Here's Miller's full media availability:

Miller, of course, has been out of the lineup since November 19th when the Canucks announced that he would be away from the team on an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons. The team did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding Miller’s absence, but it did not take long for rumours to emerge and speculate on why the forward was taking time away from the team. There were terrible rumours on his personal life with his wife Natalie, along with trade rumours that emerged as well.

Just recently, there was a report from Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic which stated that the New York Rangers have allegedly attempted to acquire Miller, but that a deal could not come to fruition. Apparently, general manager Chris Drury had asked about Miller’s availability in a possible trade, however, he was reluctant to include Braden Schneider in a deal.

Canucks president Jim Rutherford has had enough and on Wednesday told The Province that while it is human to feed gossip, the team is sick of the salacious rumours at a time when Miller needs support and positivity.

“Don’t start making stuff up on someone in his situation. That’s disrespectful,” Rutherford said. “People that do this for fun, or for a living, just go back to making up trade rumours.”

He also clearly stated that the Canucks are not trading Miller:

“No, we are not (trading him),” Rutherford said flatly. “We stand by him.”

Miller, who has not played since Nov. 19, is believe to be taking time away from the NHL to reset, looking to get himself right. His return remains to be determined.

The veteran forward has posted six goals and 16 points in 17 games this season and will return to action once he decides to do so. In the meantime, the Canucks remain supportive and are not looking to trade him out of Vancouver.