J.T. Miller sees bonus in Team USAs heavy Rangers presence at 4 Nations

MONTREAL — The 4 Nations Face-off tournament unofficially started for four Rangers Friday night at Madison Square Garden.Shortly after standing behind the Penguins bench in a 3-2 win over the Blueshirts, Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan huddled for five minutes with Chris Kreider, J.T.Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox.From opposing sides to uniting as countrymen, the aforementioned five and the rest of the top Americans in the NHL will look to capture the United States’ first best-on-best tournament crown since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.“He kept it pretty quick,” Fox said of the meeting.

“They were just sending out some video clips for structure, and he was just telling us how he wanted us to learn the system, but not be too hands on with it before.Just getting acclimated and kind of introducing himself, as well.”The Rangers are represented more than any other NHL team on Team USA, with three forwards and a defenseman chosen among the cream of the crop of U.S.-born players in the league.Of course, Miller was selected when he was still a Canuck, but now he counts toward the Blueshirts total after he was traded back to New York on Jan.

31.With the addition of Miller, the Blueshirts have six players skating for their respective countries at the NHL’s first international event in nine years.That’s the second most of any NHL club.“It’s nice that they’re here, get to know them a little bit more,” Miller said of having three Rangers teammates on Team USA with him.

“I just think it gives us a leg up in the sense of getting to know them, as in having a friendship and a bond, so when we go back, a little more glue there.”Team USA practiced Tuesday at Bell Centre, which will host the first four games of the tournament before it transfers to Boston for the final three, including the championship game.On defense, Fox has skated on the first pair with the Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin.The Jericho, N.Y., native has also taken reps on the first...