Bruins sign former Coyotes prospect Miller to ELC

The Boston Bruins signed former Arizona Coyotes draft pick Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract on Friday.

The Coyotes renounced the rights to Miller, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, in October of that same year. That announcement came three days after a story published by Craig Harris and Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic revealed Miller and another teen were charged with assault and violating the Ohio Safe Schools Act for bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities, in 2016.

"When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely," Miller said in a statement released by the Bruins Friday. "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. As a member of the Bruins organization, I will continue to participate in community programs to both educate myself and share my mistakes with others to show what a negative impact those actions can have on others. To be clear, what I did when I was 14 years old was wrong and unacceptable. There is no place in this world for being disrespectful to others and I pledge to use this opportunity to speak out against mistreating others."

The 20-year-old defenceman spent last season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm, posting 39 goals and 83 points in 60 games.

"Representing the Boston Bruins is a privilege we take seriously as an organization," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "Respect and integrity are foundational character traits we expect of our players and staff. Prior to signing Mitchell, our Hockey Operations and Community Relations groups spent time with him over the last few weeks to better understand who he is as an individual and learn more about a significant mistake he made when he was in middle school. During this evaluation period, Mitchell was accountable for his unacceptable behaviour and demonstrated his commitment to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others. The expectation is that he will continue this important educational work with personal development and community programs as a member of the Bruins organization."