“Hit him as hard as I can” – J.T. Miller sets aside friendship as Canucks get ready to face ex-captain Bo Horvat at UBS Arena
It’ll be a weird feeling not only for the Canucks players but also for Bo Horvat who’ll face his former team in a heated battle at UBS Arena.
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Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller [Image Credit: Bleacher Report/Youtube]
The fated day has finally come as the Vancouver Canucks get ready to face off against their ex-captain Bo Horvat at UBS Arena on Thursday. Seeing their former captain donning No. 14 as an Islanders would be a weird feeling for J.T. Miller and his teammates.
Miller stated that he already saw him in an Islanders jersey during highlights of the Seattle Kraken vs. Long Island game. The Islanders came victorious with an overwhelming score of 4-0 as Bo Horvat had his first debut with his new team.
Elias Pettersson got to play with Horvat during the NHL All-Star week and stated how precious those moments were for both of them. They also noted that it may have been their last game together as they’ll be seating on opposite sides of the ice for games.
J.T. Miller not planning to hold back against Bo Horvat
![Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller [Image Credit: Canucksbanter]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_COM_20230209_2046_10_3202-1024x768.jpg)
Canucks center J.T. Miller heaped praises on Bo Horvat who was not only his teammate but also his close friend. Miller admitted that there’ll be moments when they can’t believe they’ll be facing Horvat as an opponent, but Miller is ready to put aside all his feelings and concentrate on the game.
“I’m just going to try to run him if I get the chance because I know he’s going to want to do that too”. “I think it’s going to bring humility to the situation. If I get a chance, I’m going to hit him as hard as I can. We’re going to enjoy competing against each other.”
Miller further added that he may want to say hello to Horvat after the game, just in case his mind doesn’t wander off before the match. Islanders would have eventually faced Canucks, but the match came shortly after Horvat’s trade and $68 million signing earlier this week.
Anthony Beauvillier who got traded from the Islanders will also have his moment, returning to home ice, but the focus will undoubtedly be on the former Canucks captain. Defenceman Quinn Hughes said of facing Horvat, “I’m not even going to think about it during the day because it doesn’t feel real”.
Center Elias Pettersson stated, “When I have a face-off against him, we’re probably just going to laugh at each other because two weeks ago we were teammates”. “It’s business. Of course, he’s always going to be a friend, but I’m going to try to play my hardest against him and bring my best effort.
Bo Horvat who recorded 420 points in 621 games including 201 goals and 219 assists with the Canucks, was the team’s leading scorer with 31 this 2022-23 season. After watching Horvat’s goal against Kraken, Miller commented, “I watched the highlight and I’m like, ‘Man, it looks so crazy'”.
“It will look that way to him live in person too. Try our best to stay focused, but there’s going to be moments that you can’t really believe what you’re looking at, him wearing No. 14 over there”. “We spent every single day together and a lot of time away from the rink on the road.
“The more we treat it to play hard, go at it, maybe not talk at all and go say hi afterwards, I think that’s better for both of us.” Horvat’s first game as an Islanders’ was against the Philadelphia Flyers where he admitted his chemistry with linemate Mathew Barzal. Although he is settling in as an Islander, facing Canucks will be an emotional night for the current center.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
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