The Boston Bruins signed defenseman Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract Friday.
Miller had been selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 111) of the 2020 NHL Draft on Oct. 7, but 22 days later the Coyotes renounced his rights after the Arizona Republic reported Miller had been involved in a racial bullying incident with a fellow student in Sylvania, Ohio, when he was 14.
"When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely," Miller said in a statement released by the Bruins. "I bullied one of my classmates. I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual. Since the incident, I have come to better understand the far-reaching consequences of my actions that I failed to recognize and understand nearly seven years ago. I strive to be a better person and positively contribute to society.
"As a member of the Bruins organization, I will continue to participate in community programs to both educate myself and share my mistakes with others to show what a negative impact those actions can have on others. To be clear, what I did when I was 14 years old was wrong and unacceptable. There is no place in this world for being disrespectful to others and I pledge to use this opportunity to speak out against mistreating others."
In addition to having his draft rights renounced, Miller was removed from the University of North Dakota hockey team.
After sitting out the 2020-21 season, the 20-year-old played for Tri-City of the United States Hockey League last season. He was named the league's player of the year and defenseman of the year after tying for the USHL lead with 39 goals and leading all defensemen in the league with 83 points.
Bruins president Cam Neely said members of Boston's hockey operations and community relations staffs spent time with Miller.
"Representing the Boston Bruins is a privilege we take seriously as an organization," Neely said. "Respect and integrity are foundational character traits we expect of our players and staff. Prior to signing Mitchell, our hockey operations and community relations groups spent time with him over the last few weeks to better understand who he is as an individual and learn more about a significant mistake he made when he was in middle school.
"During this evaluation period, Mitchell was accountable for his unacceptable behavior and demonstrated his commitment to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others. The expectation is that he will continue this important educational work with personal development and community programs as a member of the Bruins organization."
When they renounced his draft rights, the Coyotes said they knew about the bullying incident involving Miller but hoped to work with him.
"Prior to selecting Mitchell in the NHL Draft, we were aware that a bullying incident took place in 2016, Coyotes president & CEO Xavier Gutierrez said at the time. "We do not condone this type of behavior but embraced this as a teachable moment to work with Mitchell to make him accountable for his actions and provide him with an opportunity to be a leader on anti-bullying and anti-racism efforts. We have learned more about the entire matter, and more importantly, the impact it has had on Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family. What we learned does not align with the core values and vision for our organization and leads to our decision to renounce our draft rights. On behalf of the Arizona Coyotes ownership and our entire organization, I would like to apologize to Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family. We are building a model franchise on and off the ice and will do the right thing for Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family, our fans and our partners. Mr. Miller is now a free agent and can pursue his dream of becoming an NHL player elsewhere."
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