Yesterday the Boston Bruins announced that they had signed Mitchell Miller, a former draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes (111th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft), who was previously suspended for assaulting, bullying, and abusing a black classmate with a learning disability.
Miller, who is now 20 years old, and another student were guilty of assault and violating the Ohio Safe Schools Act in February 2016 for their roles in the bullying of Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a black classmate with a learning disability. Meyer-Crothers was tricked into eating chocolates that had been wiped in a urinal as part of the bullying.
Meyer-Crothers claimed to the Arizona Republic in 2020 that Miller had bullied him relentlessly throughout their childhood, calling him derogatory names like “brownie” and the “n-word,” and physically abusing and assaulting him.
When he heard that the Coyotes had selected Miller with the 111th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft’s fourth round, the news “broke my heart,” he stated.
In October that year, the Coyotes gave up their rights to him once the news broke. The University of North Dakota expelled Miller the next day. During the 2020-21 season, the talented defenseman took the entire year off from hockey, which analysts from Casino Reviewers agreed made the most sense.
Miller, according to Bruins president Cam Neely, “demonstrated his desire to work with different groups and professionals to advance his knowledge and use his error as a learning moment for others” during an evaluation period.
While a member of the Bruins organization, “it is expected that he will continue this vital educational work with personal development and community programming,” Neely said.
Miller delivered his statement through the Bruins in which he addressed the situation and promised to “speak out against mistreating people.”
“When I was in the eighth grade, I made a really stupid judgment and acted very immaturely,” Miller recalled.
“I picked on one of my fellow students. I’m sorry for what happened and apologize to the person involved. Almost seven years have passed since the tragedy, and I’ve now realized the full scope of my mistakes. I work hard to improve myself and positively impact the world around me. As a Bruins team member, I am committed to furthering my education through community outreach initiatives and learning from my own mistakes to demonstrate the harm caused by poor decision-making.”
The signing was a topic of conversation on Friday’s episode of The Jeff Marek Show on Sportsnet’s The Fan 590 with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.
I know the Bruins put a lot of time and effort into this; I didn’t rush to a conclusion. The procedure took a long time, as Friedman noted afterward.
When asked by media about the agreement on Friday, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said, “I am not going to discount that this has been a personal and professional struggle.”
To paraphrase, “Mitchell has paid a punishment, and he will continue to carry that for the rest of his life. Sweeney said, “We will hold him to a standard.”
There is a risk that this choice is inappropriate… He continued, “It invited a lot of hostility that we didn’t need or want.
Miller said that he got attention from “a couple” NHL teams in his press conference with the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate, but ultimately decided to sign with the Bruins because they offered the best opportunity for him to develop.
After being drafted, the Sylvania, Ohio, native returned to the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, where he had previously played, and led all USHL defensemen with 39 goals and 83 points in 60 games, ranking third in league scoring.
In their press release, the USHL explained that the GMs of all USHL teams vote on award winners.
The Storm said of Miller in August of 2021, when they offered him a spot on the team, “We know Mitchell very well, and we are sure what happened when he was 14 isn’t typical of his character or who he is now at the age of 19.” The Storm said that Mitchell’s volunteer work benefited anti-bullying campaigns, children with special needs, disabled athletes, the homeless, and the elderly.
Five years after the bullying incident, Isaiah’s mother, Joni Meyer-Crothers, told The Athletic that the family had still not received an apology from Miller.
