‘We failed’: B’s president speaks out after team cuts ties with player who bullied Black classmate

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the organization “failed” in its decision to sign defenseman Mitchell Miller, who was convicted of bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities in middle school.

“We made a lot of people unhappy with our decision. I take pride in the Bruins organization and what we stand for. We failed there.” Neely said during a news conference Monday, less than 24 hours after the team decided to part ways with their controversial signee. “From a hockey standpoint, the scouts think he’s a player that can play. From a character standpoint, that’s where we failed.”

The team signed Miller to an entry-level contract Friday.

Miller was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, despite being aware of his assault conviction. Arizona moved on from him after disturbing details about the assault came to light.

Neely initially stated Friday that the team did extensive background work on Miller prior to the signing, but he walked that claim back Monday, questioning the process of those who were tasked with vetting the player.

“The fact that we didn’t talk to the [victim’s] family is concerning,” Neely said, adding that he plans on reaching out on behalf of the organization. “I made it clear that we had to vet this out properly...I’m disappointed that we are in this position. We shouldn’t be in this position. We could have done a better job. We should have done a better job.”

When asked about handing out a punishment for staffers who were involved in the vetting process, Neely said, “I have more work to do.”

After meeting with Miller and his family, Neely said he thought the 20-year-old was deserving of a second chance, but that the team should have done more before making him an offer.

“I felt that he was remorseful. I felt that he had changed. I felt at the particular time that a second chance was warranted...I misread that,” Neely said. “We didn’t have enough information. We could have dug deeper.”

In a statement shared by the club, Miller expressed remorse for his past actions.

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

According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the Bruins did not consult the league prior to signing Miller.

“He’s not coming into the NHL, he’s not eligible at this point to come into the NHL,” Bettman said.

In an interview with the Boston 25 News on Friday, the victim’s mother, Joni Meyer, said Mitchell only reached out to apologize last week. According to her, Mitchell reached out to the family through Snapchat and said the apology was unrelated to hockey- a notion she doubts.

Meyer said that Miller’s abuse of her son has left mental scares that may never heal.

News of the Miller signing sparked outrage from Bruins players.

“In this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect,” team captain Patrice Bergeron said. Fellow teammate Nick Foligno called the signing “hard to swallow.”

Neely admitted that he too would have been upset by the signing if he was still playing.

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