Boston Bruins part ways with controversial prospect Mitchell Miller, two days after signing
BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins "will part ways" with Mitchell Miller, the controversial prospect who signed with the organization on Friday.
The team stated that "new information" made the organization believes "it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins."
The 20-year-old Miller was convicted of bullying a developmentally disabled classmate, behavior which included Miller forcing the classmate to lick a piece of candy that had been placed in a urinal. Miller also "taunted" his classmate -- who is Black -- by using the N-word and the term "brownie," according to a 2020 Arizona Republic article.
Despite that history, the Bruins signed Miller to an entry-level contract on Friday, giving him the maximum AHL salary. On Saturday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that Miller is not currently NHL-eligible and may never be NHL-eligible, considering his history. Bettman added that the Bruins did not request that information before signing Miller.
The signing led to fans contacting the team to express their dismay at the decision by the front office to bring Miller to the Bruins organization.
"We owe it to our fans, players, staff, partners and community to make sure that our practices and protocols are in keeping with the ethos that we demand from ourselves and as an organization," Bruins president Cam Neely said in Sunday night's statement. "As such, we will be reevaluating our internal processes for vetting individuals who wish to earn the privilege of playing in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins. We are sorry that this decision has overshadowed the incredible work the members of our organization do to support diversity and inclusion efforts. We will continue to stand against bullying and racism in all of its forms."
Bruins players -- including captain Patrice Bergeron -- were forced to speak about the signing over the weekend, with the general consensus being that the locker room was not in favor of the signing.
"We expect guys who wear this jersey to be high character people," Bergeron said. "Hopefully there is some growth and change. If it's the same 14-year-old that would be walking into this locker room, he wouldn't be accepted."
The victim of Miller's bullying was Isaiah Meyer-Crothers. His mother said that Miller never apologized directly to Isaiah, and that Miller never contacted Meyer-Crothers until last week by way of Instagram message.
Neely apologized directly to Meyer-Crothers on Sunday.
"To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard," Neely said. "We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused."