Canadiens HC Martin St-Louis gets 100% real about ex-teammate and now rival J.T. Miller

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis spoke about his former teammate, J.T. Miller, ahead of his team's game against the New York Rangers on Saturday. St-Louis, who played with Miller for the Rangers, talked about how the forward has grown as a player.

“JT has always had that compete level, always kind of played with some anger,” St-Louis told reporters (5:57). “As he’s matured in this league, I think he’s in a better place that way. He still plays with that, but it’s more controlled.”

St-Louis highlighted that Miller having spent time with elite players like Nikita Kucherov in Tampa Bay added new skills to his game.

“After he left Tampa, I can see in his game that he was absorbing some of the stuff that was around him,” St-Louis said.

“That’s how you raise your level. If you think that you have everything, you’re good and you’re not absorbing some of the talent that’s around you. He’s added some stuff to his game, and I see a lot of stuff he’s acquired from other players around the league.”

Miller faced challenges during his time in Vancouver, especially with Elias Pettersson. Canucks president Jim Rutherford said in April that Miller “tried hard to help fix the situation,” but the tension could not be solved. It led to him getting traded to the Rangers in January.

St-Louis concluded by praising Miller’s development.

“He’s a terrific player,” St-Louis said.

The Montreal-New York game is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the Rangers holding a 2-3-1 record and the Canadiens at 4-1-0. St-Louis sees Miller not just as a rival, but as a player who has developed through experience.

J.T. Miller opens up on tough season and media pressure

J.T. Miller talked about his former Vancouver Canucks teammate, Elias Pettersson, in September. He highlighted that the 2024-25 season was exhausting because of the media pressure and high expectations following the previous campaign.

“There was a lot of outside influence, a lot of extra stuff going on," Miller said, via NHL.com. "Last year was the most exhausting. Just a long year. A year I'd like to forget about.”

Miller was drafted at No. 15 by the Rangers in 2011. He has already contributed one goal and two assists this season, including a strong performance against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 9. Miller scored a goal and added an assist in the 4-0 win.