Bruins part ways with Mitchell Miller

The Boston Bruins are parting ways with defenseman Mitchell Miller, the team announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:

• On November 4, the Bruins signed Miller to an entry-level contract.
• Miller was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but his draft status was revoked by the team after it was revealed he had been convicted of bullying by a juvenile court.
• NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Saturday that Boston did not consult with the league before signing Miller and would need to see “a whole bunch of stuff” before hypothetically allowing him to play in the league. NHL.
• Bruins players weighed in on the signing on Saturday. Nick Foligno said it was “hard for us to swallow”, with captain Patrice Bergeron adding that “the culture we have built here is against that type of behaviour”.

What they say

On Sunday, Bruins President Cam Neely released the following statement:

“Today, the Boston Bruins have decided to part ways with Mitchell Miller, effective immediately,” the statement read. “The decision to sign this young man was made after careful consideration of the facts as we knew them: that at 14 he made a bad decision which led to a juvenile conviction. We understand that he This was an isolated incident and that he had taken significant steps to reform himself and was committed to further personal development.Based on this understanding, we offered him a contract.

“Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind Mitchell Miller’s opportunity to represent the Boston Bruins.”

Neely went on to apologize for the signing, saying “this decision has overshadowed the incredible work members of our organization are doing to support diversity and inclusion efforts.”

“We will continue to fight bullying and racism in all its forms.”

Neely apologized to Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a black classmate with a developmental disability whom Miller admitted to Ohio juvenile court for bullying.

“To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel invisible and inaudible. We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused.

The Bruins have not contacted the victim’s family.

As of 9:50 p.m. Sunday, 49 minutes after the Bruins issued their press release cutting ties with Miller, Joni Meyer-Crothers and Jamie Crothers had not heard directly from anyone from the Bruins. From start to finish, this lack of communication was at the heart of the Bruins’ dire assessment of the situation.

“One hundred percent. One hundred percent,” Meyer-Crothers said when asked if a pre-signing exploratory call from the Bruins might have affected their decision.

Because the Bruins never called the family, they didn’t realize Isaiah was being repeatedly abused. In their statement, Neely said their decision to part ways with Miller was “based on new information.” –Shinzawa

(Photo: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)