Former Canucks Captain Speaks on Stars' Rift

The former captain of the Vancouver Canucks opened up about the rumored tension between a couple of his old teammates.

Jan 20, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat (53) skates against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

No matter how much they deny it, there seems to be some sort of rift between two of the Vancouver Canucks' star players. After leading the Canucks in 2023-24, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson have seen their names brought up quite a bit as tensions between the two take the spotlight in Vancouver.

Bo Horvat spent a few seasons not only as teammates of Miller and Pettersson, but as their captain before being traded to the New York Islanders in 2023. Horvat knows from firsthand experience the kind of relationship those two share.

While Horvat said the feud is being blown out of proportion, he didn’t act like it was a perfect friendship.

“Unfortunately, you’re going to see both sides of it right?” Horvat told The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner. “It's not always gonna be sunshine and rainbows. There's not always gonna be good things said. It's got to be a tricky situation. It's got to be tough. But if any two guys, or if anybody can handle it, those guys can."

Horvat noted that he had a great relationship with both Miller and Pettersson during his time as captain of the Canucks. Again, not everything was perfect, but everyone always worked together trying to win as much as possible.

"I was captain there, so it was my job to keep everybody even keel and to make sure everybody got long and that the team was fighting for the same thing, for the same goal."

To add to the turmoil in Vancouver, Miller and Pettersson aren’t putting up the kind of numbers that were expected heading into 2024-25. Miller has played in 26 games with six goals and 18 assists for 24 total points. Pettersson has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 total points in 34 games.

Pettersson may be second on the team in scoring, but it’s well below where he should be as the highest paid player on the roster.

The Canucks have to sort out their issues and fast if they want to find their way back into a playoff spot. As the year turns to 2025, the Canucks are a point out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

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