Rangers to face discipline from the NHL after allegations of tampering in recent blockbuster trade

«A little less than a month ago, Hillary Trocheck surprised Natalie Miller for her birthday, flying across North America for a surprise visit in Vancouver. Both their husbands, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, were on hockey road trips for the Rangers and Canucks, respectively, and the wives reached out.

«The two of them, they were pushing us: 'Oh you guys have got to get this trade done!'» Vincent Trocheck said. «We're like, 'We don't have any say.'»

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

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said the Rangers' front office did «a lot of homework» on Miller before making the deal. During that process, he talked to Trocheck, who has emerged as a key voice in the Rangers dressing room and a potential option to fill the team's vacant captaincy.

«(Drury) came to me whenever he thought it might be a possibility that J.T. would be traded,» Trocheck said. «Just asked if it was something that J.T. would be willing to do, come to New York. That was just the start of the process. And then talking to J.T., seeing if New York was somewhere he wanted to be was the next step.»

Trocheck sensed that «originally he didn't really want to leave Vancouver. His family had made a home there.» But Miller clearly warmed to the idea of getting traded and acknowledged «it got a little ugly (in Vancouver) at the end.» He called it a team effort between his camp and the Canucks to find him a different place to play.

«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, he's got friends here outside of hockey. All of that put together, once he kind of processed it, then he wanted to come.»

Elsewhere around the Canucks. Earlier this week, the Canucks sent out a note warning teams about tampering. Saying that, looking nobody is allowed to talk to any of players without our permission in advance.' Friedman said.
He added, 'I believe now at this time, some teams do have permission to talk to Miller. Not sure who it is, but I've hear there are some teams that have been granted permission to him.'