Boston Bruins president Cam Neely admitted his organization “failed” in its decision to sign disgraced defenceman Mitchell Miller to a contract, hours after the Bruins cut ties with the 20-year-old.
“There’s a lot of people that are let down today. I’m disappointed that we’re in this position. We shouldn’t be in this position,” Neely said in a press conference Monday. “So, we could’ve done a better job. We should’ve done a better job.”
Miller pleaded guilty to one count of assault and one count of violation of the Ohio Safe Schools Act when he was 14. He and another teenager were accused of making a classmate eat a candy push pop after wiping it in a bathroom urinal, and surveillance video showed them kicking and punching him. Miller was also accused of directing racial slurs toward the classmate.
After Miller was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020 NHL Draft, the student he bullied — Isaiah Meyer-Crothers — and his family publically criticized the NHL and Coyotes for the decision, saying they did not believe Miller was remorseful for his actions. The Coyotes released Miller shortly after and he also was released by the University of North Dakota’s hockey team.
Speaking Monday, Neely admitted that the Bruins should have spoken to the Meyer-Crothers family as part of the evaluation process and he said he would be looking into why that did not happen.
“The timing of it was never probably going to be good,” Neely said. “I think it got down to the point of [whether]we’re doing it or not. And we made the wrong decision.”
With files from The Associated Press.
