The Bruins made the controversial decision to sign Mitchell Miller, a former Coyotes draft pick who admitted to bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities four years before he was chosen to play in the NHL. It took all of two days for Boston to walk that decision back.

The Bruins announced Sunday that they had decided to “part ways” with Miller, citing “new information” as the reason for rescinding their offer to him to join the organization.

The decision by the Bruins to bring Miller into the organization was met with swift condemnation across the sports world, including from several members of the Bruins. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that the Bruins didn’t consult him before offering Miller a contact and added that Miller was ineligible to play in the NHL.

MORE: Why the Bruins signed Mitchell Miller

Here’s why the Bruins swiftly walked back their decision:

Why did the Bruins rescind their offer to Mitchell Miller?

Bruins president Cam Neely said in the team’s announcement of the reversal that Boston signed Miller because it believed Miller’s bullying was an isolated incident when he was 14 years and that he had just made a poor decision. Neely said the team offered him a contract because it believed Miller had worked to reform himself and was committed to ongoing personal development.

It’s clear that the club learned something between Friday and Sunday that told it otherwise.

“Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins,” Neely said in the statement. “We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth.”

The Bruins did not specify what new information came to light.

Neely apologized to the mother of the bullied boy and the boy’s family “if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard.” He also apologized that the signing “overshadowed” the work of the Bruins organization to support diversity and inclusion.

“We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused,” Neely said. “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.”

Mitchell Miller bullying 

Miller was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft by the Coyotes, but a report from The Arizona Republic emerged about racial bullying by him and a classmate toward Isaiah Meyer-Crothers four years before the draft, when Miller was 14. The report found that Miller admitted to an Ohio juvenile court that he bullied Meyer-Crothers. According to the Republic’s report, Meyer-Crothers said Miller tricked him into licking a candy push pop that had been wiped in a urinal, constantly taunted him with racial slurs and beat him in junior high school.

The Athletic reported in October 2020 that Miller’s behavior had been made public at the time of the incidents by the Toledo Blade. The Athletic’s reporting prompted at least 10 NHL teams to remove Miller from draft consideration. In its report, The Athletic said that Miller wrote a letter to all 31 teams apologizing for what he did and included “character references.”

The Athletic reported that some teams that spoke with Miller on Zoom calls remained unconvinced that he was remorseful. In addition, Joni Meyer-Crothers, foster mother of Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, wrote that Miller never apologized to the family. She told The Pipeline Show’s Guy Flaming in June 2022 that her son only received a court-ordered statement from Miller.

Flaming reported after the Bruins made the signing that Miller tried to reach out to Isaiah Meyer-Crothers over Instagram to apologize, according to Joni Meyer-Crothers.

In the press conference to announce the Bruins’ deal with Miller, general manager Don Sweeney said he had not spoken with Isaiah Meyer-Crothers or his family before signing Miller, but that they had asked the player to speak with the family, a meeting Sweeney called it an “imperative” part of Miller joining the organization.

Why did the Bruins’ signing of Mitchell Miller receive backlash?

Sweeney defended the decision to sign Miller by saying that the player had “paid a punishment” and the organization would “hold him to a standard.” Sweeney acknowledged the decision “could be wrong” and said it “invited a lot of negativity that we didn’t need or want,” while adding he wasn’t sure if he would be able to forgive Miller if his child had been the one bullied by him.

It didn’t take long after the Bruins signed Miller for the fallout began. Bettman said Miller was “not coming into the NHL” and that he was not eligible, according to ESPN. He also said he couldn’t say if Miller would ever be eligible to play in the league, calling what Miller did “reprehensible, unacceptable.”

In addition to widespread public condemnation, even Bruins players were unhappy with the signing. Forward Nick Foligno called it a “tough thing” and said he didn’t believe anyone in the locker room was “too happy” about the signing.

Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron doubled down on that, saying that if Miller was the same person he was at 14, “he would not be accepted and wanted and welcomed,” according to ESPN.

“The culture we built here goes against that type of behavior,” Bergeron said, per ESPN. “We’re a team built with character and character people. What he did is unacceptable, and we don’t stand by that. In this locker room, we are all about inclusion, diversity, respect. Those are key words and core values that we have.

“We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect. Hopefully there is growth and change.”