Bruins sign defenseman who was released by Coyotes after report of disturbing conviction surfaced
The Boston Bruins on Friday announced the signing of a talented defenseman who was released by the Arizona Coyotes after a report of him being convicted for abusing and a bullying a disabled classmate while in middle school came to light.
The team inked former fourth-round draft pick Mitchell Miller, 20, to an entry-level contract, General Manager Don Sweeney announced in a news release.
The Coyotes renounced the rights to Miller in October 2020 after The Arizona Republic published a story that revealed Miller had been charged with assault and violating the Ohio Safe Schools Act in 2016 for bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities, TSN reported.
In a statement released on the official website of the Bruins, Miller said, “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.”
Miller skated in 60 games with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL in 2021-22, recording 39 goals and 44 assists for 83 points with a plus-43 rating. The 5-foot-10, 189-pound blueliner was named the USHL’s Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year after the season in which he set league records for goals and points by a defenseman.
Before signing Miller, Bruins President Cam Neely said the club’s Hockey Operations and Community Relations groups spent weeks meeting with Miller “to better understand who he is as an individual and learn more about a significant mistake he made when he was in middle school.”
In a statement, Neely said, “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.”
Miller is a native of Sylvania, Ohio.
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