Bruins under massive scrutiny over the signing of Mitchell Miller

The Arizona Coyotes rescinded the rights to Miller following the 2020 NHL Draft after his wretched background came to light

Image courtesy of The Canadian Press

The Bruins have been the best team in the NHL to begin the young season. Jim Montgomery’s hockey club has a 10-1-0 record and are winners of the last seven games. Literally everything the Bruins have touched has been turning into gold.

That was until Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced the signing of 20-year-old defenseman Mitchell Miller.

The signing of Miller has been met with massive scrutiny due to his trouble past.

At the age of 14, Miller had admitted in an Ohio juvenile court to bullying a Black classmate who had developmental disabilities. 

The classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, was tricked into licking a candy push pop that Miller and another classmate had wiped in a bathroom urinal. Meyer-Crothers also accused Miller of using racial slurs around him.

The Coyotes had originally drafted Miller in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Arizona then renounced his rights after finding out about Miller’s troubled past. In addition, he was dismissed from the University of North Dakota after the Arizona Republic released their in-depth report on Miller.

Image courtesy of the Toledo Blade

Boston is now giving Miller a second chance when many in the media and fan base don’t feel the 20-year-old deserves one.

The Ohio native released a statement through the Boston Bruins saying:

"When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely," said Miller. "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."

Image courtesy of Steven Senne / AP Photo

Bruins president Cam Neely on the signing of Miller:

“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.”

Image courtesy of WEEI

"This decision could be wrong.. It invited a lot of negativity that we didn't need or want,” said Sweeney. The B’s general manager then said that every time they came close to walking away, they "remembered he was in 8th grade, he was 14."

Sweeney also said in the Miller introductory press conference saying, "I am not going to downplay that this has been a personal struggle as well as a professional struggle."

The Bruins released a statement on the process into learning more about Miller saying, "better understand who he is as an individual." The team also said that he was accountable for his previous actions during this time and demonstrated a willingness "to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others."

Sweeney told the media that the club did not reach out to the victim’s family during the vetting process.

Last season, Miller spent time with the Sri-City Storm of the USHL. He played in 60 games, recording 39 goals, 44 assists for 83 points and a plus-43 rating.

The 5-foot-10 blueliner was named the USHL’s Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year.

Regardless of his stats and talent on the ice, Miller’s background adds tarnish to the Bruins brand. Fans of the Bruins have very high expectations of this team and the players who wear the “B” across their torso. Miller’s actions as a kid and lack of remorse over the incident shows a lack of leadership by the Bruins front office and ownership.

Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique

For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.