Larry Brooks backs $56,000,000 'hard-edged' superstar for NY Rangers' captaincy

NY Post writer Larry Brooks has called on the New York Rangers to name their new captain before training camp this fall. In an Aug. 9 article, Brooks urges the NY Rangers to name J.T. Miller as their new captain for the 2025-26 season.

Miller, who is entering the third year of a seven-year deal worth $56 million, is the ideal candidate for the Rangers’ captaincy. The role was left vacant after the Blue Shirts traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks last season.

Brooks wrote:

“The captain’s sweater is not just another piece of laundry. It represents the organization’s ethos. The Rangers acquired J.T. Miller to change the team culture.”

The team culture is something that has come under fire due to the club’s precipitous drop from the Presidents’ trophy in 2023-24 to missing the playoffs in 2024-25. But as far as Brooks is concerned, Miller is precisely what New York needs.

He added:

“The 32-year-old is hard-edged and can be abrasive. That is the identity the Blueshirts should adopt.”

The NY Rangers have other viable candidates to opt for the captaincy. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin is one. The other could be Norris Trophy-winning blue liner Adam Fox. However, it seems the club will refrain from naming a new captain now.

However, if Miller has a solid start to the season, the calls for him to earn the captaincy may only continue to grow.

NY Rangers have strong leadership group in the room

Back in May, the NY Rangers introduced Mike Sullivan as their new head coach. Sullivan took over from the departed Peter Laviolette in a move to potentially spur a significant turnaround for the Blue Shirts.

During his introductory press conference, Sullivan was asked about naming a potential captain for the club next season. He responded:

“The one takeaway that I have from those conversations is I think there’s a fair amount of leadership in that room. So, whether you wear a letter or you don’t wear a letter, leadership manifests itself in so many different ways.”

Sullivan’s comments underscore how the club is comfortable with spreading out leadership roles throughout its veteran core as opposed to naming a single point of accountability.

Sullivan added:

“I think there’s a lot of character in that room, just based on the initial conversations that I’ve had with these guys. Chris and I will work through some of those challenges.”

The comments suggest that Sullivan and GM Chris Drury will be looking to work together to name the NY Rangers’ next captain. So, it might be a question of waiting for training camp and perhaps a couple of months into the season before stamping the C on anyone’s sweater.

In the meantime, fans and the media can only speculate about who the chosen player will become.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan