The Boston Bruins are terminating Mitchell Miller’s contract after the NHL finds him unfit to play in the league

CNN —

The Boston Bruins terminated their contract with Mitchell Miller on Sunday after the National Hockey League ruled him unfit to join the team due to a bullying incident involving the player as a young teenager.

The decision is effective immediately, just days after the Bruins Miller signed an entry-level contract on Friday. The about-face comes after the disclosure of new information that appears to be related to bullying, which eventually happened led to serious consequences when the player was at school.

Miller, 14, was convicted in a bullying incident in which he and another teenager were accused of tricking their black classmate Isaiah Meyers-Crothers into eating candy that had been placed in a urinal, according to a report of the Republic of Arizona revealed.

Miller and another teen admitted to the bullying in an Ohio juvenile court and were sentenced to community service, according to the Republic.

Explaining the decision to sign Miller, now 20, in the first place, Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the team carefully reviewed the facts because they knew “that he made one when he was 14 bad decision that resulted in a juvenile detention.”

“We understood that this was an isolated incident and that he took meaningful reform action and was committed to continued personal development. Based on that understanding, we offered him a contract,” Neely said.

After new information emerged, the team decided it was in their best interest to revoke the opportunity. The team’s statement did not include this information.

“We hope he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth,” Neely said.

Neely also apologized to Meyers-Crothers and his family for signing, as well as to members of the organization, fans, partners and the community.

“I sincerely apologize to Isaiah and his family if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard. We apologize for the deep pain and impact we have caused,” Neely said. “We will continue to stand up against bullying and racism in all its forms.”

Neely added: “Finally, as a father, I think there is a lesson to be learned here for other young people. Watch out for sloppy behavior and deal with the group mentality of hurting others. The effects are felt for a lifetime.”

On Saturday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the Bruins did not consult the league before signing Miller, calling what Miller did as a 14-year-old “reprehensible” and “unacceptable.”

“He’s not coming into the NHL. He is not eligible to come into the NHL at this time. I can’t tell you he’s ever eligible for the NHL,” Bettman said while speaking at the NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland.

“So the answer is they were free to sign him to play elsewhere, that’s another league issue, but nobody should think at this point that he’s eligible for the NHL or ever could be. And the Bruins understand that now,” Bettman added.

The Arizona Coyotes drafted him in 2020, and the team later withdrew his rights after the Republic report revealed the bullying conviction.

CNN reached out to Miller’s rep for comment and didn’t immediately receive a response.

When the Bruins originally signed Miller, the team released a statement from the player saying, “When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely bad decision and acted very immaturely.”

“I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual. Since the incident, I have a better understanding of the far-reaching consequences of my actions, which I failed to recognize and understand almost seven years ago,” he said. “To be clear, what I did when I was 14 was wrong and unacceptable. There is no place in this world for being disrespectful to others and I vow to take this opportunity to speak out against the abuse of others.”