Vincent Trocheck Wife Role in JT Miller Rangers Trade Deal

The J.T. Miller trade to the New York Rangers has an interesting twist – it turns out friendship and family played a bigger role than anyone knew.

Miller, who was drafted by the Rangers back in 2011, surprised hockey fans by agreeing to waive his no-trade clause to return to New York. The Canucks got Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round pick in return.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Less than a month before the trade, Hillary Trocheck flew across North America to surprise Natalie Miller – J.T.’s wife – for her birthday in Vancouver. While their husbands were away on road trips with their respective teams, the wives started pushing for something big.

“The two of them were pushing us: ‘Oh you guys have got to get this trade done!'” Vincent Trocheck said with a laugh. “We’re like, ‘We don’t have any say.'”

Turns out, they had more influence than they thought.

Rangers GM Chris Drury actually reached out to Trocheck when the possibility of getting Miller came up. He wanted to know if Miller would be interested in coming to New York.

“It was something we’ve always dreamed of, playing together,” Trocheck said. “Obviously the logistics of it, he’s closer to home: his family can come up any time, and he’s got friends here outside of hockey.”

For Miller, the opportunity to play alongside his friend was too good to pass up.

“I don’t think at the start of the year we were thinking about playing with each other,” Miller said. “But when the opportunity came it’s something that, for our families, is really special. For us to be here together, trying to work together for a common goal, it’s a really cool feeling.”

According to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, there’s more to the story. He reported that Trocheck described it as “a team effort between his camp and the Canucks to find him a different place to play.”

The trade shows how sometimes in hockey, it’s not just about what happens on the ice – sometimes it’s about friendship, family, and finding the right fit.