Boston Bruins cut ties with Mitchell Miller after outcry

The Boston Bruins cut ties with Mitchell Miller less than three days after signing him to an entry-level contract.

The decision to sign the 20-year-old defenseman drew a lot of criticism. Miller was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. Shortly after he was drafted, a report by the Arizona Republic detailed how Miller and another middle school classmates were convicted in juvenile court of racially abusing and harassing a Black student. According to the report, Miller used racial epithets and abused Meyer-Crothers in second grade.

The decision to sign Miller was made after careful consideration of the facts, according to a statement from the Bruins. Miller had taken meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing personal development, according to the team.

The franchise decided to take back the contract given to Miller.

The Bruins would be rethinking their vetting process, according to the Bruins' president.

If this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard, I apologize. We apologize for the damage we have done.

Less than a month after he was selected, Miller lost his draft rights. At the University of North Dakota, he was released from his scholarship.

He played for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL in the second half of the 21st century. He finished tied for the league lead in goals with 39 and had 83 points, both single-season records for a defense. He was named the USHL's defenseman of the year and the player of the year.

Miller was originally going to play for the Providence Bruins. Gary Bettman said on Saturday that Miller was not eligible to play in the NHL at this time. The league would have to clear Miller to play in order for him to do so, according to Bettman.

It was difficult for the team to find out the organization had signed Miller.

I'm not going to lie to you. "I don't think anyone was too happy because of how proud we are to say that this is a group that cares about ourselves and how we treat people."

The type of behavior Miller displayed goes against the type of culture the Bruins have built, according to the captain. Miller's actions were unacceptable and we don't stand by that.