Elias Pettersson and JT Miller of the Vancouver Canucks

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Elias Pettersson hasn’t had a good start to the season for the Canucks, and his altercation with JT Miller during team practice made matters worse.

Forwards Elias Pettersson and JT Miller got into a heated argument during yesterday’s Vancouver Canucks practice. Every fan and member of the media who happened to be at the rink took notice of the two forwards’ involvement in a small altercation.

According to Canucks insider Jeff Paterson, a puck battle drill preceded the incident. As the situation worsened, Pettersson and Miller began slicing at one another, and Miller finally delivered a powerful cross-check. The ensuing brief altercation highlighted the two teammates’ rivalry.

To make it even more dramatic, Miller also verbally insulted Pettersson by calling him “a baby,” according to fellow Canucks reporter Farhan Lalji. Although the remark was hurtful, it captured the mood of the time.

“Yeah, I didn’t see it, but I did hear about it. It wasn’t just the scuffle, but it was the words after where Miller allegedly called Pettersson a baby at the end of it.” Lalji said.

He later went on to add, “For my money, I think this is just what happens in a practice between guys, it happens on every team all the time, so I don’t want to read too much into it. Again, I know why. Everybody wants to say ‘Pettersson’s making huge money now and making significantly more than Miller and Miller’s going to be upset if he’s not carrying his weight’ and all of that stuff. But I just don’t believe they think about those things in the moment and sometimes things get heated and it happens and I’m sure Tocchet is right that the next time these two are in a situation where one needs to come to the defence of the other, they’ll be there for one another.”

Rick Tocchet, the head coach, discussed the incident with the media today. He claimed that it was simply a part of the game and that there was no residual tension in the locker room. He added that these kinds of incidents can occasionally lead to better ice outings.

This heated exchange might be the spark the Canucks need this season if it’s what it takes to get Elias Pettersson’s game back on track and motivate the rest of the team.