Mitchell Miller #

Introduction #

Mitchell Miller is an American professional ice hockey defenseman whose path to the NHL was blocked twice after it emerged that he had bullied a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. The Arizona Coyotes drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL entry draft but renounced their rights to him that October; the Boston Bruins signed him to an entry-level contract in November 2022 and cut ties two days later, after players and the NHL commissioner spoke out against the signing.

Background Information #

Miller was born on December 20, 2001, in Sylvania, Ohio, in the Toledo area. He played junior hockey for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

At the 2020 NHL entry draft, the Coyotes used their first pick, 111th overall, to select Miller. After the Arizona Republic published an in-depth report on October 26, 2020, the Coyotes renounced their draft rights days later, and he was dropped from the University of North Dakota’s hockey team the next day.

Miller re-joined the Tri-City Storm in 2021 and was named the USHL’s player of the year in May 2022, with 39 goals in 60 games, a record for defensemen in the league’s top level.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

In 2016, when Miller was 14, he and another boy were found delinquent in an Ohio juvenile court on assault charges and a violation of the Ohio Safe Schools Act. The case involved Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities whom the boys had bullied for years, beginning as early as first and second grade, according to his family. In the 2016 incident, Miller and the other boy made Meyer-Crothers lick a piece of candy that had been wiped in a urinal and beat him; surveillance video captured the assault. They were ordered to do 25 hours of community service, write apology letters, pay court costs, and undergo counseling.

Meyer-Crothers said the bullying ranged from racial slurs to physical attacks, telling the Arizona Republic, “He pretended to be my friend and made me do things I didn’t want to do.” His mother, Joni, said the other boy personally apologized but Miller never did, other than writing a court-mandated letter, and that Miller initially lied about the incident, admitting his role only to prevent surveillance video from being released. In an open letter, the boy’s father, Jamie Crothers, accused Miller of using his status as an emerging hockey star to carry out years of abuse, and wrote that the incidents resumed even after the family moved their adopted son to another school.

The Coyotes initially defended their pick, citing a desire to “be a part of the solution in a real way,” but the criticism that followed ultimately led the franchise to renounce Miller’s rights.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

Miller’s signing by the Bruins on November 4, 2022, drew immediate backlash. Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, alternate captain Brad Marchand, and forward Nick Foligno condemned Miller’s past behavior. “In this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect,” Bergeron said. “We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect.” The next day, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Miller was not welcome: “He’s not coming into the NHL. He’s not eligible at this point to come into the NHL.”

Two days after the signing, the Bruins announced they had parted ways with Miller, saying the club had opted to “rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins.” The club said it had severed ties even though Miller was still technically under contract; its update came on November 7, 2022. Bruins president Cam Neely apologized to Meyer-Crothers: “To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard.”

Miller issued a statement through the Bruins: “When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely. I bullied one of my classmates. I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual.” Critics faulted him for portraying the abuse as a one-off mistake; Meyer-Crothers’ parents said their son endured years of abuse. His agent, Eustace King, who sits on the NHL’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said he chose to “counsel not cancel,” adding, “We believe in restorative justice.”

Meyer-Crothers’ mother told NPR that “both boys need healing,” that her son, then 20, was struggling daily while living in Detroit and hoped to become a barber, and that the players’ statements “gave him some peace.”

Current Status #

Although the Bruins said they had parted ways with Miller, he remained technically under contract for a time, earning more than $116,000 from it as of December 2022. In February 2023 the two sides reached an agreement that permanently ended his association with the club: he received an undisclosed sum and was granted free agency under a condition of confidentiality, reported publicly that July. On August 2, 2023, Miller signed with HK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš of the Slovak Extraliga, and after 19 games in Slovakia he signed with Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he is under contract through the 2026–27 season.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The episode ended Miller’s NHL career before it began: Bettman said Miller was not eligible and could not say whether he “will ever be eligible to come into the NHL.” The controversy also raised questions about NHL teams’ vetting processes and a culture in elite youth athletics that can let bullies avoid accountability. Miller’s talent was never in dispute, but he was twice blocked from the NHL and has since played professionally in Europe.

For Meyer-Crothers, the impact has been lasting: his mother said he was still struggling daily years after the abuse. Miller said he strives “to be a better person and positively contribute to society” and pledged to work with community programs and advocacy groups against bullying, his agent said. Critics, however, have said Miller has not done enough to show remorse or prove he has changed.