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Donovan Mitchell speaks of ‘draining’ Utah experience, then leads Cavs in blowout of Jazz

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Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday to a 122-99 win over the Utah Jazz team that traded him this offseason.

Prior to the game, he opened up to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears about his time in Salt Lake City and his relationship with former teammate Rudy Gobert. He told Spears in an interview published Monday that “we did a lot of special things” while acknowledging that a Jazz team led by himself and Gobert that never advanced to the Western Conference finals fell short of expectations.

“Basketball just didn’t work out,” Mitchell said of his relationship with Gobert.

Mitchell, who played five seasons in Utah, also spoke about the challenges of being a Black athlete in a predominantly white city, an experience that he says has shifted for him in Cleveland. He described his experience in Utah as “draining.”

“If I’m being honest with you, I never really said this, but it was draining,” Mitchell told Spears. “It was just draining on my energy just because you can’t sit in your room and cheer for me and then do all these different things.”

Mitchell cited an incident that saw 10-year-old Isabella Tichenor take her own life amid bullying allegations. He also referenced Utah state senator Stuart Adams, who suggested that Mitchell needed to be educated after Mitchell spoke out against a critical race theory resolution in the state legislature.

“I’m not saying specifically every fan, but I just feel like it was a lot of things. A state senator saying I need to get educated on my own Black history. Seeing Black kids getting bullied because of their skin color. Seeing a little girl hang herself because she’s being bullied.”

Dec 19, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) defends Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Mitchell called pushback against his advocacy for racial equality “a lot” and said that it was tough to not see many Black people in the stands at Jazz home games.

“And then to be able to not see many of us in the crowd, I tried my best to make sure I invite young Black and brown kids to games, to be around the community,” Mitchell continued. “But just to not see us there, it was definitely tough.

“And being in Cleveland now, you see us courtside. It’s just refreshing. It’s a blessing to be back around people that look like me.”

The change of scenery has suited Mitchell. He led the Cavs with 23 points in just 23 minutes on Monday and rested on the bench during the fourth quarter of the blowout win. He hit 4 of 5 3-pointers while shooting 8 of 12 from the field. The effort has become the norm since the trade with Mitchell averaging a career-best 29.5 points per game while shooting 50.3% from the field and 42.4% from 3-point distance. His performance is drawing MVP buzz.

Monday’s victory improved the Cavs to 21-11, including an NBA-best 15-2 at home. After the game, Mitchell kept the conversation about basketball while acknowledging that “it’s different when you’re playing against your friends, the guys you’ve been in a locker room with, battled with.”

Monday’s game was in Cleveland. He expects the Jan. 10 rematch in his return to Utah to hit differently.

“Always good to play against your guys,” Mitchell told reporters. “I think the bigger game will probably be when we go back out there.”

Also worth circling on the calendar: Jan. 14 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It will be Mitchell’s first chance to face off against Gobert, whom the Jazz also traded in the offseason. Mitchell missed a Nov. 13 matchup in Cleveland with an ankle sprain.

“I’m going to give him a hug and be happy to see him,” Mitchell told Spears of Gobert. “And I wish him the best. There’s no hatred. There’s no ill will towards any of that.”



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Jets OT Max Mitchell dealing with blood clots, says father

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets rookie offensive tackle Max Mitchell, sidelined for the remainder of the season after being placed on the non-football injury list, was discovered to have blood clots in his right calf and lung, his father told ESPN on Thursday.

Mitchell has a hereditary blood-clotting condition called factor V Leiden, according to John Mitchell. Max Mitchell is on blood-thinning medication and is expected to make a full recovery, his father said, adding that it’s not career-threatening.

“It should not affect his career long term,” John Mitchell said. “Of course, we’re taking a big, great deep breath with all of this, but his future is promising.”

The Jets announced the NFI designation Wednesday, but coach Robert Saleh declined to divulge the reason.

Max Mitchell, who made his fifth start at right tackle Sunday, was removed in the second quarter because he was “struggling,” Saleh said after the 27-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Mitchell was experiencing side pain and was having trouble breathing, his father said.

Initially, it was thought to be muscle spasms, but the symptoms persisted, so he went for tests on Monday, which revealed the clots. He might be on the blood thinners for a few months, but that can vary.

Mitchell was a fourth-round draft pick from Louisiana. This was supposed to be a developmental season, but he was pressed into action because of injuries. He was the opening-day starter at right tackle and started the first four games before a knee injury sidelined him for six games. He came off the bench in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. In the subsequent days, he started experiencing the symptoms, John Mitchell said.

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Elijah Mitchell will miss 6-8 weeks with his knee injury

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Elijah Mitchell‘s knee injury was more serious than expected, and the 49ers running back will miss 6-8 weeks.

“It wasn’t the news we were looking for,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said in a conference call with local media, via Jerry McDonald of the East Bay Times.

The team initially thought Mitchell had an MCL sprain that would keep him out 2-4 weeks.

“He’s pretty disappointed,” Shanahan said. “Everyone knows how good Elijah’s been, how hard he’s worked to get back from his last one and how good he’s been playing since he came back. To be right back there, I know he was real down on it. He’s had some real bad luck. He got rolled up on and it was a bad position for him to be in.”

Mitchell, who set a franchise rookie record with 963 yards rushing last season, only returned from an injured reserve stint on Nov. 12. He injured his knee in the season opener and missed seven games.

Mitchell had 34 carries for 183 yards the past three games while splitting time with Christian McCaffrey as the 49ers’ lead back. McCaffrey came out of Sunday’s game with “knee irritation” so the 49ers will monitor him this week as they get ready to host the Dolphins.

Rookies Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price could see more playing time this week. Mason had five carries for 25 yards on Sunday against the Saints.



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Deebo Samuel, Elijah Mitchell among 8 players set to return for 49ers

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After dealing with plenty of bad injury news during the season’s first eight weeks, the San Francisco 49ers are finally closer to full strength.

Despite losing cornerback Jason Verrett to a season-ending left Achilles tear in Wednesday’s practice, the Niners got plenty of good news on the injury front Friday, as they will welcome back eight players who missed San Francisco’s latest game — a 31-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 30 — because of injuries.

Among the players set to play Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers are wide receivers Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and Jauan Jennings (hamstring), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf). Four players — running back Elijah Mitchell, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, offensive lineman Colton McKivitz and defensive end Jordan Willis — will all return from knee injuries that landed them on injured reserve, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.

The Niners have three open roster spots and will get a fourth when they place Verrett on injured reserve, a move that is expected to happen in the next 24 hours.

Getting so many key players back as they embark on the second half of the season has the 4-4 Niners believing big things are possible down the stretch.

“This is the grind of the season now, the stretch we’re about to go on, and we need all our weapons,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “And it’s great to see some familiar faces out there. … We’re gonna need them.”

Samuel, Juszczyk and Jennings each missed just one game, but having that trio allows the offense its first opportunity to see how things look when Samuel and recently acquired running back Christian McCaffrey work in tandem with a skill position group that also boasts tight end George Kittle, Mitchell and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

“It’s just so crazy how much firepower we have in this offense now with adding [McCaffrey] to the team along with all the other guys that we’ve got,” Samuel said. “It’s gonna get crazy. It’s gonna be hard to cover everybody out there, and it should be real fun.”

The defense will also benefit from some post-bye reinforcements. The return of Al-Shaair and Greenlaw means the 49ers’ primary linebacker trio will be together for the first time since Week 3.

Al-Shaair’s return comes a bit earlier than expected, but he said Monday that he was feeling good and ahead of schedule after rehabbing with Mitchell.

“Realistically, it was like six to eight [weeks], but initially I thought it would be eight,” Al-Shaair said. “You’re usually conservative up front. And then you kind of just see where each person goes, and I was doing a lot better than they thought. So I was able to get back out there.”

The news wasn’t all good for the Niners, who have lost cornerbacks Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley (torn left ACL) for the season and will be without defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot, ankle), who was ruled out on Friday. Defensive end Samson Ebukam (quadriceps) is listed as doubtful.

Even without those players, the Niners know the value in giving others a chance to be on the field. Shanahan said it can be beneficial because the Niners are still in the playoff mix with other players having the chance to play meaningful snaps.

“It helps a lot,” Shanahan said. “When you lose guys, it puts you in a bind. The only benefit to losing guys is it gives other people the opportunity to develop because they have to go through stuff. And sometimes the only time you get better is going out there and getting your butt kicked and realizing what you’ve got to do in this league because you can’t always simulate that. … If you can kind of still not set your team back, it can make your team a little bit stronger.”

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Boston Bruins rescind contract with Mitchell Miller after NHL deems him ineligible to play in league

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CNN
 — 

The Boston Bruins rescinded their contract with Mitchell Miller Sunday after the National Hockey League deemed him ineligible to join the team due to a bullying incident the player participated in when he was a young teenager.

The decision is effective immediately, just days after the Bruins signed Miller to an entry-level contract on Friday. The about-face comes after the revelation of new information apparently related to bullying, which at some point led to serious consequences when the player was in school.

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

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

In explaining the decision to sign the now 20-year-old Miller in the first place, Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the team had carefully considered the facts as they were aware of them, “that at 14-years-old he made a poor decision that led to a juvenile conviction.”

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

After new information came to light, the team decided it was in its best interest to rescind the opportunity. The team’s statement did not detail that information.

“We hope that 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 the signing as well as to the members of the organization, fans, partners and the community.

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

Neely added, “Finally, as a father, I think there is a lesson to be learned here for other young people. Be mindful of careless behaviors and going with the group mentality of hurting others. The repercussions can be 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’s not eligible at this point to come into the NHL. I can’t tell you that he’ll ever be eligible to come into the NHL,” said Bettman while speaking at the NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland.

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

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

CNN has reached out to Miller’s representation for comment and did not immediately hear back.

When the Bruins initially signed Miller, the team provided a statement from the player in which he said, “When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely.”

“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,” he said. “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.”

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Boston Bruins cut ties with Mitchell Miller after outcry

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Less than three days after signing Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract, the Boston Bruins announced Sunday they were cutting ties with the controversial prospect.

The decision to sign the 20-year-old defenseman drew intense criticism from the moment the Bruins announced it Friday. Miller was previously a fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2020. Shortly after he was drafted, a report by the Arizona Republic detailed how Miller and another middle school classmate were convicted in juvenile court in 2016 of racially abusing and bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who is Black. In the report, Meyer-Crothers’ mother said Miller started abusing her son in second grade while also using repeated racial epithets.

Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement Sunday night that the decision to sign Miller “was made after careful consideration of the facts as we were aware of them.” Neely said the team believed Miller’s abuse of Meyer-Crothers was “an isolated incident” and that Miller “had taken meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing personal development.”

Neely said that “based on new information,” the franchise decided to rescind the contract given to Miller.

Neely also said the Bruins would be reevaluating their internal vetting process.

“To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard,” Neely said. “We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused.”

Miller had his draft rights relinquished by the Coyotes less than a month after he was selected. He also was released from his scholarship at the University of North Dakota, where he was enrolled as a freshman.

He sat out the 2020-21 season but began playing again in 2021-22 with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He finished tied for the league lead in goals with 39 and had 83 points — both single-season records for a defenseman — in 60 games. He was named the USHL’s Defenseman of the Year and Player of the Year.

The Bruins initially planned to have Miller play for their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. On Saturday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was not consulted by the Bruins about the signing and that Miller was “not eligible at this point to come into the NHL.” Bettman said the league ultimately would have to clear Miller to play while also saying he would “need to see a whole bunch of things” going forward.

Bruins forward Nick Foligno said Saturday that it was “a tough thing” for the team to learn the organization had signed Miller.

“I’m not going lie to you,” Foligno said. “I don’t think any guy was too happy because of how proud we are to say that this is a group that cares a lot about ourselves and how we carry ourselves and how we treat people.”

Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron said the culture the team has built goes against the type of behavior Miller displayed. He said what Miller did was “unacceptable, and we don’t stand by that.”

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Bruins’ Mitchell Miller signing ‘stunned’ bullying victim’s family — mother says son ‘not doing well’ after the news

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TORONTO — On Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Nick Foligno made it clear they do not endorse their employer’s signing of Mitchell Miller. Joni Meyer-Crothers, mother of Isaiah, the victim of Miller’s bullying and racist comments, heard those statements.

“I was very impressed with what they said. Extremely impressed,” Meyer-Crothers told The Athletic. “That definitely gave us comfort.”

It was a breath of relief in what Meyer-Crothers termed a whirlwind since the Bruins signed Miller to an NHL entry-level contract on Friday. She never believed the day would come.

“We were totally blindsided,” said Meyer-Crothers of herself, husband Jamie Crothers and her family. “I never thought an NHL team would sign him. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that. I was just stunned.”

Meyer-Crothers read the Bruins’ press release. She saw how general manager Don Sweeney explained the signing. Sweeney noted how Miller’s offensive style gave him NHL potential.

“It’s sad in that Mitchell and his family think his career trumps being a good person? That’s kind of the message the Bruins are sending out too — that talent trumps what you do,” said Meyer-Crothers. “I can’t say it enough. We want Mitchell to get the help that he needs. Because he needs help, too. So we’re not against that, at all. But it’s a privilege to play hockey. Maybe he should have been rehabilitated, and then re-focused and re-looked at to play hockey after he truly was rehabilitated and understood the magnitude of what he’s done to our son.”

As much as Meyer-Crothers appreciated what the Bruins’ players said, she has not heard directly from anybody from the Bruins, either before or after the signing. (The Athletic reached out to the Bruins for comment on this without response.)

If she had heard from them, Meyer-Crothers said she would have described how Isaiah and her family are still dealing with the aftermath of Miller’s repeated mistreatment. She described Isaiah as “not doing well at all” following Friday’s news of Miller’s signing.

“Every time this is brought up, it puts him right back to where he was,” said Meyer-Crothers of her adopted son. “To sit at the table with Mitchell in seventh grade, he had to say he was his N-word, or he had to sit by himself at the lunch room. It’s all this stuff that keeps replaying in his mind all the time. That he’s not of value. That his life doesn’t matter. He was told his Black mom and dad didn’t love him; that’s why he has White parents. Imagine the identity problems that Isaiah’s dealing with.

“He was already behind the eight-ball because he had fetal alcohol syndrome and drug exposure. So cognitively, he’s already behind. Then you’re adding this stuff on to a kid that just wants to have friends. Because he already knows he’s not functioning like the other kids. He was tormented. That’s where I’m struggling.”

After hearing Bergeron, Marchand and Foligno speak, Meyer-Crothers said she would welcome the players to their home. She would explain how Miller’s mistreatment affected Isaiah and her family. She would share the reports she has received on Isaiah’s mental health. 

Meyer-Crothers said she is not interested in speaking with Sweeney because of how he explained the situation.

“No, I wouldn’t want to speak to him. No,” Meyer-Crothers said. “He made it known that it didn’t really matter what we had to say.”

Both Meyer-Crothers and Crothers also said they do not want to speak to Miller. According to Crothers, Miller reached out to Isaiah on social media approximately a week and a half ago.

“This has been something every time when Mitchell turns around and tries to get on to another hockey team,” Crothers said. “Last year, it was his USHL team. Being drafted by Arizona. Every time this comes up, everybody reaches out to us and to him. This is like the third or fourth time we’ve been through this circus, all over the same situation. Every time, Mitchell has chosen never to reach out and apologize.

“The only time he sought Isaiah out to apologize to him was about a week and a half ago when Boston told him, ‘We’re not signing you unless you apologize.’ So then he decided, ‘Hey, I better get ahold of Isaiah and apologize.’ At that point, he was sorry, but it wasn’t hockey-related. He told Isaiah specifically that he was sorry, that this was not hockey-related, he just really wanted to help kids in a similar situation. That’s why he was reaching out. He tried to sit down with Isaiah and tell him he was sorry, but it was all because of this, because of being signed by Boston. It was about hockey. It wasn’t about kids. It wasn’t about being sorry. It was about his hockey. So it’s empty.”

Crothers and Meyer-Crothers are unhappy with Miller. They are also dissatisfied with the Bruins for how, in their Friday press release, they did not acknowledge Miller’s repeated harassment. 

“The biggest thing people need to know is it’s not a one-time thing,” Meyer-Crothers said. “It was years and years and years of abuse and torment. Our son is an emotional mess at the hands of Mitchell. I’m so thankful the organization wants to help Mitchell. But you’re forgetting that there’s a victim that is traumatized for the rest of his life. What are we doing for him? Because he doesn’t have a hockey talent, his life isn’t as significant? That’s how we kind of feel.

“They keep using the word mistake. He made a ‘mistake’ when he was 14. My problem with Sweeney and with Mitchell is, let’s call it what it was. It was years of abuse. It wasn’t one time. A mistake is maybe something stupid. But what he did really is a lot more. It was premeditated.”

Meyer-Crothers concluded the interview with a final statement.

“Isaiah is just victimized over and over again because Mitchell’s a good hockey player,” she said. “So it’s like you don’t have to show that you’ve grown and you’re remorseful because you’re a good hockey player, so that trumps everything Isaiah’s went through. So it minimizes what Isaiah’s went through and makes him feel like he went through everything in vain. That his life doesn’t matter. And his life does matter. His life matters significantly.”

(Top photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)



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​​Bruins leaders air concerns over Mitchell Miller signing: ‘A tough thing to hear’

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TORONTO — About a week ago, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney approached Patrice Bergeron. Sweeney asked Bergeron’s opinion on signing Mitchell Miller, the free-agent USHL defenseman prospect who scored 39 goals and 83 points in 60 games for the Tri-City Storm last season. Miller has been considered toxic by most NHL teams because of his racist comments toward and repeated mistreatment of Isaiah Meyer-Crothers when he was 14.

The captain told Sweeney the truth.

“I had my concerns,” Bergeron said. “I shared my opinion. In a way, I was not necessarily agreeing with it. To be honest with you, the culture that we’ve built here goes against that type of behavior. We’re a team that’s built something about character, character people and individuals. What he did, obviously, is unacceptable. We don’t stand by that.

“For me, I know for myself anyways, in this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect. Those are key words and core values we have. We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect. That’s how they should be acting.

“My understanding is he’s going to put in the work in development programs and community programs to better himself. It’s up to him to do that. That’s it. From my standpoint, it’s a hockey operations decision. For myself, we can control what we can control. Truthfully, hopefully there’s some growth and change. If it’s the same 14-year-old that would be walking into this locker room, he wouldn’t be accepted and wanted and welcomed in this locker room, to be honest with you. That’s my stand on it.”

It didn’t dissuade Sweeney from signing Miller, as the team announced Friday.

On Saturday, Bergeron, alternate captain Brad Marchand and ex-Columbus captain Nick Foligno addressed the situation prior to the Bruins’ game against the Maple Leafs. All three were dissatisfied.

Meanwhile, at the Global Series in Finland, commissioner Gary Bettman told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that the Bruins did not notify the league of the signing. Miller would not be eligible to play without NHL clearance. Bettman said he would have to see “a whole bunch of things” before making Miller eligible.

Here’s what else the Bruins’ leaders had to say about the signing and its impact.

Bergeron on whether the signing could harm the team culture:

“Our culture’s not going to change. Our culture is what it is. It’s something I’m proud of. It’s something we’ve worked hard for. We don’t need to change that. The changes are from the individual himself.”

Marchand on the signing:

“We understand the dynamics around it. We have a culture in this organization, in this room. We obviously don’t condone what happened. That will never be part of our team and our organization. If he’s with our group, it will be because he’s shown that he’s learned and matured and he’s come a long way. It’s going to be a very long process for him. That’s on him. At the end of the day, we can only control what we can, and that’s what’s in our room. If that time ever comes, it will be dealt with when it needs to. As of right now, it’s a long process for him.”

Marchand on having to speak on the situation in the midst of a 10-1-0 start:

“We’re a group. Anything that happens at any point of the year, we all go through it together. That’s always been how this works. The organization’s had to go through things with me that I’m sure they haven’t wanted to deal with. It’s not all good and it’s not all bad. You go with the ebbs and flows. You deal with it as a group. This is another situation.”

Marchand on why now:

“With a situation like that, I’m not sure there’s ever good timing. It’s just one of those things where if they feel like it’s the time, then it’s the time. It’s a long process for this kid to make amends or show he’s learned and come a long way. That process has to start at some point. I guess it’s now.”

Marchand on whether it makes it harder on the players:

“If the kid’s going to be part of this room, we have a standard that we hold our teammates to, to be in this room. If we don’t feel like he’s there, then he will not be here. That’s like with anybody. If there’s a guy that comes in and he’s not fitting in, he’s gone. We’ve shown that year after year. I understand where it all comes from. But again, if he ever makes it here, it’ll be because he’s shown that he has learned and come the distance he’s needed to.

“There’s a lot that comes with this, a lot of backlash and media attention the team’s going through right now. He’s got a lot of work to do. It’s a second chance he’s been gifted. He’s going to have to show that he earns it. He’s got a long, long road ahead of him.”

Foligno on the signing:

“It’s tough. It’s a really hard topic. First and foremost, the organization is not going to do something that would jeopardize that. But in saying that, it’s not something anyone in this room stands for. The culture we’ve built and these guys have built before I got here is one of inclusion. I think it goes against that. I understand he was 14 when he made this mistake. But it’s hard for us to swallow. Because we take a lot of pride in here in the way we act, the way we carry ourselves, what it is to be a Bruin. So that was a tough thing to hear for our group.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t think any guy was too happy because of how proud we are to say this is a group that cares a lot about ourselves, how we carry ourselves and how we treat people. So that was, for a lot of guys, especially the ones that have been here, a tough pill to swallow. In the same light, I don’t think the organization’s ever not looking out for the best interests of us. But I think we have a lot of concerns. This kid will have to answer for those and will have to prove to everybody and himself, especially if he wants to get in this room, that he’s a changed man. We hope he works toward that.

“But I think right now, our room is more worried about the group in here and what we’re doing. It’s a special thing we’ve got going on here. We’re not going to let something like that ever come into our room.”

Foligno on whether the signing puts a burden on Bergeron as captain:

“Yes and no. Being a leader never comes without some adversity. Bergy’s a guy that can handle it. But I think he’s always going to stay true to himself. Whether he likes what they did or not, he’s not going to be the company man. This comes down to morals. Bergy’s a guy that’s always stood by his morals. I don’t think he’s happy, obviously. None of us are, really, with the situation. At the same token, it’s the reality that we’re faced with, whether we wanted it or not. What’s going to happen in here, we’re going to band together. Because that’s what Bergy does. He brings everybody together and makes us understand that’s not going to infect this room. Because this room’s built on the principles that this kid obviously went against.

“It’s a tough spot to Bergy in. All of us in this situation. That’s not to pit us against the organization. I know (president) Cam (Neely) and Sweens are always trying to do what’s best for the organization and wouldn’t, without vetting, probably do this. But still, it’s a hard one for us to swallow because there’s still a thing there that this kid obviously did very wrong and hurt somebody. I don’t think any guy in here stands for that.”

(Top photo of Patrice Bergeron: Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)



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Boston Bruins sign Mitchell Miller despite conviction of assault on black classmate

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The Boston Bruins signed a controversial 20-year-old defenseman, who was convicted of assaulting a black, disabled high school classmate, to an entry-level contract on Friday.

Mitchell Miller, who was 14 at the time of the 2016 bullying scandal, tricked Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, into licking a candy push pop that was wiped in a bathroom urinal, resulting in Meyer-Crothers testing for hepatitis, HIV, and STDs.

Miller was also accused of calling 14-year-old Meyer-Crothers “brownie” and the “N-word” while repeatedly beating him during their childhood in Toledo, Ohio, according to the Arizona Republic.

Bruins General Manager Cam Neely released a statement about Miller’s signing.

“Representing the Boston Bruins is a privilege we take seriously as an organization,” Neely said.

“Mitchell was accountable for his unacceptable behavior 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.”

Miller was drafted as the 111th pick to the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, only to be cut within a month because of out-lash over his history of bullying.
Tri-City Storm

Mitchell said in the same statement released by the Bruins he would continue to educate himself and share his mistakes with others while playing for the organization.

Originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, Miller has yet to play in the NHL.

The team cut ties with Miller weeks later, along with The University of North Dakota, where the young defenseman played college hockey after scrutiny from the public and media.

Miller spent the past two seasons in the USHL before he signed with the Bruins. The team reportedly evaluated Miller for several weeks.

On Friday, in an interview with CBS Boston News, Joni Meyer-Crothers, the mother of Isaiah, said Miller had reached out to her son on Instagram a week before the Bruins’ signing to apologize to him for the first time ever.

“About a week and a half ago, Mitchell reached out to our son on Instagram to tell him that he was sorry and that it most definitely wasn’t ‘hockey-related.’”

With Post wires



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Mitchell Miller, after bullying conviction, signs with Bruins

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Mitchell Miller, a prospect whose draft rights were relinquished after it publicly surfaced that he and a classmate were convicted of assaulting and bullying a developmentally disabled classmate, signed an entry-level contract Friday with the Boston Bruins.

The 20-year-old defenseman was a fourth-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes in 2020. Shortly after he was drafted, however, a report by the Arizona Republic detailed how Miller and another middle school classmate were convicted in juvenile court in 2016 of racially abusing and bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who is Black.

In the report, Meyer-Crothers’ mother alleged that Miller started abusing her son in second grade while also using repeated racial epithets.

“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 on 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.”

“… 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.”

In his statement, Miller said he will continue to participate in community programs to educate himself and share “my mistakes with others to show what a negative impact those actions can have on others.”

Bruins president Cam Neely said the team’s hockey operations department and community relations group spent time with Miller over the past 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 behavior 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,” Neely said in the statement. “The expectation is that he will continue this important educational work with personal development and community programs as a member of the Bruins organization.”

NHL Central Scouting ranked Miller as the No. 49 North American skater in its final pre-draft rankings, however he slid to the fourth round as teams knew about his past.

Days after the Coyotes drafted Miller, the team said in a statement that “it would have been easy” to dismiss him like other teams did, but “we felt it was our responsibility to be a part of the solution in a real way — not just saying and doing the right things ourselves but ensuring that others are too.”

The Coyotes have the NHL’s first Latino owner in Alex Meruelo and the league’s first Latino CEO and president in Xavier Gutierrez.

Miller ultimately had his draft rights relinquished by the Coyotes less than a month later. He was also released from his scholarship at the University of North Dakota, where Miller was enrolled as a freshman.

He sat out the 2020-21 season before returning to play with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm during 2021-22. Miller was named the USHL’s Defenseman of the Year and Player of the Year after finishing tied for the league lead with 39 goals while also having 83 points — both single-season league records for a defenseman — in 60 games.

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