Bruins part ways with controversial prospect Mitchell Miller

Mitchell Miller’s time with the Bruins has come to a quick end as the team has announced that they are parting ways with the defenseman who had signed with Boston back on Friday. Team president Cam Neely released the following statement:

The decision to sign this young man was made after careful consideration of the facts as we were aware of them: that at 14-years-old he made a poor decision that led to a juvenile conviction. We understood this to be an isolated incident and that he had taken meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing personal development. Based on that understanding we offered him a contract.

Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins. We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth.

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. 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.

To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard. We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused.

Miller’s signing was a controversial one following the revelations of a 2016 assault conviction for bullying and abusing a Black, developmentally disabled classmate. The Coyotes, who had drafted him 111th overall back in 2020, renounced his rights later that year, making him an unrestricted free agent.

On Saturday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that Miller was not currently eligible to play in the NHL and suggested that he might not ever be. That called into question whether or not he’d be able to play in the AHL with that league saying they’d need to meet with Miller and review the situation in further detail. That will no longer be necessary with his time with Boston now having ended.