Boston’s president said the team thought Mitchell Miller’s bullying, which led to a juvenile-court conviction, was an isolated incident but decided not to move forward based on new information.
BOSTON — The Bruins decided Sunday to rescind their contract offer to the prospect Mitchell Miller, who was drafted in 2020 but had his draft rights relinquished amid backlash because of Miller’s admission in court to bullying a classmate with a developmental disability while using racist language in middle school.
Boston signed Miller, a 20-year-old defenseman, to an entry-level contract Friday, prompting criticism from players and comments from N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman that Miller would not currently be eligible to play in the league.
Cam Neely, the Bruins’ team president, said in a statement on Sunday that the team thought Miller’s bullying of the student was an isolated incident but reversed course on signing Miller based on new information.
“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,” Neely said. “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.”
Earlier Sunday, the agent Eustace King released a statement saying O2K Sports Management took part in serious deliberation before deciding to represent Miller. The statement said Miller was working with and volunteering for organizations and was committed to changing his ways. King did not immediately respond to a message Sunday night seeking comment on the Bruins’ decision.
Signing Miller did not go over well with Boston players, from the captain Patrice Bergeron down. Bergeron said he was consulted about the possibility and was “on the fence.”
“The culture that we built here goes against that type of behavior,” said Bergeron, who is in his 19th season, all with Boston. “In this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect.”
The veteran forward Nick Foligno called the signing “hard to swallow.”
“Tough thing to hear for our group,” he said. “I’m not gonna lie to you. I don’t think any guy was too happy.”
The Arizona Coyotes picked Miller in the fourth round of the 2020 draft despite knowing of his 2016 conviction in a juvenile-court case. The team parted ways with Miller amid criticism after learning more about the bullying.
The University of North Dakota announced a day later that Miller would no longer be allowed to play with the school’s hockey team.
Miller pleaded guilty at age 14 to one count of assault and one count of violating of the Ohio Safe Schools Act. He and another teenager were accused of making a classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, eat a candy push pop after wiping it in a bathroom urinal, and surveillance video showed them kicking and punching him.
Meyer-Crothers’s mother, Joni, told The Arizona Republic that Miller, who is white, started the bullying in second grade and used racial epithets against her son, who is Black.
Miller sent a letter to all 31 N.H.L. teams — Seattle would enter the league the next season — acknowledging what happened and apologizing for his behavior. Joni Meyer-Crothers said at the time that Miller never personally apologized to Isaiah or their family other than through a court-mandated letter.
“When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely,” Miller said in a statement after Boston initially signed him. “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.”
Miller sat out the 2020-21 season before scoring 39 goals with 44 assists for Tri-City of the United States Hockey League, a junior league, in 2021-22. He was named the U.S.H.L.’s player and defenseman of the year after setting league records for goals and points by a defenseman.
“We are sorry that this decision has overshadowed the incredible work the members of our organization do to support diversity and inclusion efforts,” Neely said, offering his apology to Meyer-Crothers and his family and saying the team stands against bullying and racism. “I think there is a lesson to be learned here for other young people. Be mindful of careless behaviors and going with the group mentality of hurting others. The repercussions can be felt for a lifetime.”
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