Confirmed with Link: Bruins sign Mitchell Miller to ELC

[Alicat]

So you signed him anyway and now have just made it a massive distraction as the media goes on a hunt to find out who didn't want them to sign the kid

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

14-year-old elite athlete that was a bully? Probably a few others that became pro players.

No justification for his actions. But I think a kid deserves a 2nd chance. I'm big on redemption.

Mayb he'll make the NHL and will get to line up against Evander Kane or Ryan Reeves someday.

 

[The National]

 

[DarrenBanks56]

So you signed him anyway and now have just made it a massive distraction as the media goes on a hunt to find out who didn't want them to sign the kid

damn.
def bergy

 

[Blowfish]

Those rock stars were filth and I am glad some of them are starting to pay the piper.
What's your point?
They absolutely shouldn't have had the careers that they did when other, better people deserved the spotlight.

Read my earlier post...

 

[Alicat]

It wasn't just bullying.

Bergeron's never coming back after this season and I won't be shocked if Pasta now wants out.

Way to ruin this season and everything else

 

[BB88]

So you signed him anyway and now have just made it a massive distraction as the media goes on a hunt to find out who didn't want them to sign the kid

Yeah.

Why???

Nothing in this makes any sense

 

[EverettMike]

That piece of shit Montreal drafted showed infinitely more accountability by asking team's not to draft him than this kid ever has. I literally cannot believe they did this. Their talk about "character" was always bullshit, but I didn't think they'd be so blatant about it not mattering.

 

[CDJ]

Yeah it’s just embarrassing. That’s all there is to really say about it. I feel embarrassed rooting for the organization today. Hopefully he plays in the minors and we never hear from him again.

Somebody mentioned Corvo earlier…same kind of feeling here. It’s very rare I don’t root for a guy on the Bruins but it’ll be hard for me to feel happy about anything he does in a Bruins uniform unless he shows a major act of contrition like giving the victim his entire entry level contract or something

 

[Blowfish]

In 2016, Miller and a classmate were found delinquent in an Ohio juvenile court on charges of assault and a violation of the Ohio Safe Schools Act.[4] The pair were accused and found guilty of forcing a developmentally disabled African American classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, to eat a piece of candy that they had wiped along the inside of a urinal, repeated bullying of Meyer-Crothers, and repeatedly calling him a Racial Slur.[13] Surveillance video also captured them kicking and punching Meyer-Crothers.[14]

The bullying incidents resurfaced after The Arizona Republic published an in-depth report on Miller on October 26, 2020.[15] The Republic exposé also revealed that Miller would frequently use the words "Racial Slur" and "BROWNIE" to refer to Meyer-Crothers and often told him to "go pick their cotton".[16] The Coyotes initially defended Miller, citing their desire to "be a part of the solution in a real way" and to help Miller grow from this incident and eventually become a leader against bullying and racism.[16][11] Although Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong did not draft Miller, he expressed the team's desire to provide Miller with a second chance.[16]

According to the Republic, Miller apologized to the then thirty-one NHL teams, but never to Meyer-Crothers or to his family.[16] In a letter addressed to the Coyotes, Meyer-Crothers' mother, Joni, found Armstrong's comments demeaning to her son, stating that while Miller's classmate apologized to Meyer-Crothers, Miller himself was unwilling to show contrition. A juvenile court magistrate in Ohio concluded that Miller had absolutely no remorse for his actions against Meyer-Crothers and was merely upset that his reputation would be damaged by the situation. As a result of the exposé, the Coyotes received widespread criticism for drafting Miller.[17] This ultimately led to the Coyotes renouncing their draft rights to Miller and cutting all ties with him.[10][11][18] Miller was subsequently dropped from the University of North Dakota hockey team on the direct orders of the university president Andrew Armacost. Miller was still however in good standing academically, and was allowed to continue attending classes at the university.[12]

More details about the bullying surfaced after The Independent published a detailed letter from the Meyer-Crothers family, reiterating that Miller has not apologized to the family, and detailing further accusations about Miller's behavior, starting as early as 1st grade.[19][20] These allegations include:

• calling Meyer-Crothers Racial Slur in first grade
• along with a classmate smacking and punching Meyer-Crothers on the school bus
• repeated uses of the word Racial Slur against Meyer-Crothers
• spitting in Meyer-Crothers' face

Miller maintains that his court-mandated apology letter was read to the Meyer-Crothers family.[21]

Okay so you disapprove...we get it. Who are you anyway?

 

[Siludin]

Okay so you disapprove...we get it. Who are you anyway?

Good one!

 

[Alicat]

Yeah it’s just embarrassing. That’s all there is to really say about it. I feel embarrassed rooting for the organization today. Hopefully he plays in the minors and we never hear from him again.

Somebody mentioned Corvo earlier…same kind of feeling here. It’s very rare I don’t root for a guy on the Bruins, it’ll be hard for me to feel happy about anything he does in a Bruins uniform unless he shows a major act of contrition like give the victim his entire entry level contract or something

It sounds like even that wouldn't be enough. Based on those texts, the mother of the victim wants him to never play hockey again

 

[BlackFrancis]

So a court told him he had to apologize so he did, nice.

Again, are you suggesting he should have broken the terms of his probation or, after that was done, dropped by to chat with a person he tormented so he could cleanse his conscience and be as pure as most of us internet denizens are?

I will say up front, the possibility Miller is a complete asshole certainly exists. But once he entered the criminal process for his actions, a lot of high minded avenues of making things right were denied to him. And given his age at the time, it's nearly impossible to imagine him not falling into trap of thinking it was him being screwed here, really, leading to wrongheaded resentment that takes work, time and maturity to see as delusion.

Given what he did, what the victim went through, what was likely percolating in Miller's head, the best thing for all involved was for Miller to be punished and never see nor contact that family again. The mother won't like it. The victim won't be magically purged of his memories of that abuse. And Miller won't get to join us perfect, guiltless internet saints and hate on all the evil, disgusting people that aren't like us at all.

But the abuse is done, the abuser punished and victim has closure. If Miller isn't a shit, he should donate some of his salary to anti-bullying causes, then we can all hold hands and find someone else to hector.

 

[TP]

Yikes

 

[FrankerC]

This is a huge no from me Donny.

So Don was part of the process of getting Miller to reach out to the kid he bullied just so that he can sign a contract that could amount to a life-changing amount of money?

 

[EverettMike]

As the victim's family has noted, Miller has always downplayed the abuse. He talks about it as a single incident, when it was seven years of cruelty. You can't earn redemption, and you don't deserve a second chance, until you take ownership of your past.

If he had ever truly apologized or acknowledged his heinous behavior you could at least argue he deserves another shot. But he hasn't and he doesn't.

 

[inactive user]

I really feel for the victim and the victim’s family having to watch a pos like him get to live out his dream. I’m absolutely disgusted by this signing and everyone else should be too. This kid is rotten to the core.

 

[MyNameIsJonas]

I’ll reserve judgement since I don’t know the facts and I’m naively hoping Sweeney/Neely did their homework here. BUT anyone else thinking this “bully” is not a big kid and is going to have a tough go in the AHL? Let’s see if he can even survive on the ice

 

[jmon1313]

You think?

 

[OldScool]

As a long time season ticket holder I am disgusted over this &(^*(&%^ signing. This player was beyond the normal bullying and cruel treatment of a disabled kid. He is a bad egg and I will never cheer for him. This is a scumbag and the antithesis of what I look for in a Bruins player. Unacceptable on all fronts. Pathetic.

 

[CDJ]

I will say up front, the possibility Miller is a complete asshole certainly exists.

Oh ya f***in think?



I’m pretty willing to say I’ve done and said a lot of regrettable shit- this is different and to act like we are undeservedly being “holier than thou” about what he did is stupid.

 

[The don godfather]

It wasn't just bullying.

Bergeron's never coming back after this season and I won't be shocked if Pasta now wants out.

Way to ruin this season and everything else

I dont think the Bruins are gonna fall from the sky because of this signing. Donny must have done a thorough examination of all this with a microscope.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

It wasn't just bullying.

Bergeron's never coming back after this season and I won't be shocked if Pasta now wants out.

Way to ruin this season and everything else

Overreacting a bit?

 

[BigGoalBrad]

These last 2 games honestly were probably our best regular season games in a decade and they do this?

 

[Fenian24]

I don't care how good he is, I wouldn't want DeAngelo here and I don't want this punk here, or in Providence or Maine.

There is a difference between making poor decisions about partying and a fight or two and what this asshole did. Terrible move by Sweeney. Guess things were going to good for the Bruins and Donnie had to do something stupid.