The Vancouver Canucks centre has been trying to play through an injury but apparently the emotional weight of it all has overwhelmed him
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Lately, he hasn’t able to do that. Watching Miller play the last week or two, you can see that the energy and drive that’s usually at the front of everything he does just isn’t there.
If you suspected he’s been dealing with some sort of uncomfortable, nagging injury, you’d be right. If you guessed upper back or neck, you’d also be right.
That he’s been playing below his own standard has been weighing on him, apparently more than any outside observer realized.
Postmedia understands this personal leave is not related to concerns about substance or alcohol abuse, or anything beyond his struggles to compete so far this season.
It would seem that he was trying to hold an emotional mountain up but that mountain has come crashing down on his head.
“Right now, our sole focus is making sure that J.T. knows the entire organization is here to support him,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said in a statement. “Out of respect to J.T., we will have no further comment at this time.”
Miller’s wife, Natalie, deleted her Instagram account but that was just to avoid the crush of nonsensical comments and direct messages that would cascade in at a time like this.
More to come …