And so it starts...Bergeron in an interview to be aired tonight during the game. Instead of playing hockey and just enjoying playing hockey the players are now going to be dealing with this...the questions, the second guessing, etc., etc.

Regardless of the right or wrong of giving this guy a second chance, it is now going to be a HUGE distraction to the team. Simple, boneheaded and unnecessary move by Neely/Sweeney that could very easily tank this team (and contract negotiations with Pasta). Stupid, STUPID move.
- bluemoon737

So much this. We are now putting our players through the meat grinder of questions about someone who, by all accounts, they really didn't want.

Was there really not a single person in on those meetings to say "yea, this is the stupidest thing you could do right now"?

you're an idiot.
- Blackstrom2

What part of what he said was wrong? (Not that everyone here doesn’t already know why you disagree with him) 🙄

I don't blame the kid because kids do stupid poop. I blame his peers at the time cuz he had to learn the poop from somewhere. I'm a die hard Leaf fan and hate the Winnie the pooh bears just as much as any good hockey fan should But I don't blame there organization for giving him a chance for what he did as a kid.... Go Leafs (frank)ing Go...

Why did North Dakota release him? Was that not a second chance?

you're an idiot.
- Blackstrom2

Media has really brainwashed some of these guys. Everything is political now, us vs them, and good vs evil.


Pretty soon what food you order at a restaurant will be a political thing.

Letter from the family of the disabled kid to Miller that was published. If he indeed did all of this, Miller deserves to be cancelled. This was not one incident as he calls it but years of abuse that continued well after he was 14.

Dear Mitchell,

We have been silent as it pertains to you and your family directly. We have been approached by many media entities over the past year or so asking us to give our side of the story. This is something that is very tough for us to deal with as it brings up all the hurt and disgust for what you had done to our son dating back to 1st and 2nd grade. Like when you used to play “Keep the Ball away from Brownie” at recess. Isaiah coming home and asking what a N---er was since you were calling him that. The antics you carried out back then could be dismissed as childish pranks by an unknowing youngster with poor moral upbringing. We pulled Isaiah out of your reach until 6th grade when you walked back into his life. Do you remember having Isaiah sit next to you on the bus, while having your bully accomplice sit behind him, smacking him on the head and punching him from behind? It was reported and nothing done. Do you remember telling him, on one of those occasions, that his BLACK family didn’t love him and that’s why he has a WHITE family? Do you remember spitting in his face and calling him an N word waiting for the bus at school? It was reported and nothing done. Do you remember throwing a snowball in his face and again calling him the N word while waiting for the bus at school? It was reported and nothing was done. You created an environment, because of your “HOCKEY” status, where kids had to do things in order to hang out with you. Isaiah was told, by you, to say before all his peers that he was “your N---a” in order to sit at the lunch table with you, otherwise, he had to sit alone. That was confirmed by other kids in the area. Always belittling him. Knowing he was an easy target because he cognitively was so far behind because of him being born alcohol and drug exposed and having FAS. You knew how much he wanted to “fit in” and have friends so you pried on him.

You picked him up and then slammed him on his back in the snow on the way to Speedway before a basketball game. Again, confirmed by others at the scene. We were notified by the school that in the 8th grade Isaiah began showing up to his 1st period class very agitated and disturbed, only to find out about your morning fight club in the boys bathroom. This is where you, again, used your HOCKEY status to get kids to grab Isaiah as he was heading to his locker and pull him into the bathroom where students would begin fighting with Isaiah as you and your friends Snapchated its entirety so you could play it back and laugh at the abuse YOU were inflicting on him daily. CONFIRMED!! Your parents had been called into the office on a few of these occasions and rather than force you to be held accountable for the things you were doing. They doubled down with you. Stating to the so-called disciplinarians “Do you know how good of a HOCKEY player Mitchell is? Something as stupid as this could RUIN his career!!” “Where is your proof? It’s their word against ours, and Mitchell would never do something like that!!” Those statements are in quotes because those are the exact statements YOUR mom made to us after she found out about YOUR push-pop inconvenience!! That led to criminal charges and a guilty plea on your part because there was a video that we still have and I’m sure many would like to see it so they can decide if it’s just a boy being a boy. You HAD to plead guilty. Your mom referred to it as kids being kids. You were 14 years old and knew what you were doing was wrong. It was so bad that 2 girls went to the principal because they were sick of watching you beat Isaiah up EVERY day and couldn’t watch it any longer. Most responsible parents would have had you come over and apologize and make amends not call my wife to say “Do you know he ran it under water after rubbing it in the urinal before he gave it to Isaiah?” As if somehow that made it less significant. Do you know how humiliating it was for Isaiah to have to get HIV and STD testing because of what you did to him? All of this has been corroborated in the police report as well as the principal telling Isaiah to stay away from you because you weren’t his friend.

In the time since the incident, you claim to have written an apology to us. That apology was court mandated and it was turned into the court, never to us. You claimed to not be able talk to Isaiah because of the court’s restraining order, yet two years later your family tried to get you reinstated back at the same school Isaiah was attending, which would have broke your distance regulations. After that fell through you went to a football game and when you saw Isaiah walking with some friends, you approached Isaiah standing right in his face while talking to the kids he was with. A perfect chance for you to say to Isaiah “Hey I’m really sorry for what I did to you in Junior high. I really hope you can forgive me!!” But you didn’t instead you taunted him until someone from the school came down and sent you on your way. I have seen your parents on a couple of occasions in the community. The perfect chance for them to approach me or my wife and express how deeply sorry they are for what their exceptional HOCKEY playing son did to Isaiah!! Instead they have stared at us with intimidation. They have also created a culture with a group of hockey families in this community, that somehow this is Isaiah’s fault!! That my wife and I are to blame for the issues you have experienced in YOUR life. Yet, you are not the victim here, our son is. You choose what you did over many years to our son. You made that choice! Are you aware of the American Idol 16-year-old young man, Caleb Kennedy, who got kicked off the show for taking a picture with a friend at the age of 12 who was dressed as a KKK. He was 2 years younger than your 14-year-old incident that you keep referring to as you were YOUNG. Because somehow saying you are 14 makes it less impactful. Caleb ONLY had ONE incident and he had consequences for a terrible choice. He was kicked off American Idol and he apologized not downplaying his age. He took ownership, something you still have not done.

You had a couple of years to decide that your HOCKEY career was taking off just as you had hoped and you should make amends with Isaiah before it bites you in the butt. However I’m sure you just thought hey I served my penance and my court case is sealed, that could never come back up and hurt me! I guess you are a cautionary tale that the internet doesn’t forget!! You and your parents at any time could have knocked on our door and humbled yourselves, but you didn’t. After all Isaiah deserved everything you gave him, right!! I mean we have screenshots from “your group” that say Isaiah isn’t a good kid, somehow justifying what you did to him. Posting videos of our son to somehow justify what you did to him. This isn’t remorse.

I’m very sorry that Joni and I decided to foster and adopt kids in SYLVANIA, OHIO! If we hadn’t done that to this community, they might be able to hang a sign on the way into town reading Welcome to Sylvania, Ohio - Home to Mitchell Miller of the NHL!! I would really like sit down with you and Shelly and John and apologize for the INCONVENIENCE my family and CHILD, who by the way is 19 now just like you, has caused you all. It must be devastating waking up everyday not knowing if you will be able to lace up your skates and play the game we love so much.

You see Mitchell you are crushed by the freeze of your HOCKEY career for something that you did as a youngster so long ago. The one-time incident as you reported countless times to all NHL teams and the reporters asking you about it, BUT never thought to send a letter or reach out to YOUR VICTIM who at that time was now 18 (no longer a restraining order). But as I have stated earlier it goes much deeper than the one time you finally got caught on TAPE and Shelly and John couldn’t sweep it under the rug for you. The Inconvenience you spoke about for Isaiah was constant reminders all through school and still to this day, the attacks, the counseling, the depression, the thoughts of suicide, the acts of aggression so that this didn’t happen to him again, the isolation and thoughts that your illusion was true and that it was somehow his fault. What you have done to Isaiah, he will live with for the rest of his life. Questioning his existence. Coach Noreen said his decision didn’t have to do with hockey? Really? He and their organization are part of the problem and not the solution. For the coach to make this statement “We also wanted to make sure that we had the infrastructure for Mitchell himself because as hard as anyone thinks it might be what Mitchell has gone through the last year - and probably what he’s going to go through this year - it is unlike what most young athletes will have to through in their lives.” I would have to agree with some of that because most athletes, actually MOST PEOPLE wouldn’t do what you have done. Your coach is making it out like you are a victim, when in all reality YOU DID THIS! Your coach also referred to it as an off-ice incident. Again, don’t call it what it is because we will minimize what it really is. Our son still has nightmares about the abuse at your hands. I guess inconvenience isn’t really applicable for what Isaiah has gone through now is it. At this point Mitchell, no community service at your best friend’s mom’s school, no diversity training, no feeding homeless people will change what you did! As the magistrate said back then, I don’t think you get it Mitchell. You are sorry for what is happening to you, not for what you did. This also was the consensus of many of the NHL teams, they didn’t see true remorse for your action. More like it was just a minor indiscretion. You just waited too long. Had you taken ownership years ago or even a year ago and your parents not demonized us to OUR community, I would gladly have patted you on the back for a job well done!! Can’t wait to see that sign as I drive into OUR community!! But it took your career crashing through the ice for you to realize that in your own words, “I was unable to reach out to them after the incident, but I think eventually I will definitely reach out and obviously say I’m sorry for all the inconvenience I caused when we were 14 with their family and the child.” When you read it all back and look at it from the other side it’s truly sickening, and the fact that you still can’t fathom the pain and damage you caused by your constant hazing and pranks saddens me deeply!! We will continue to pray that God will convict your heart and your family’s.

Prayers,

@ dcz28:

Thanks for providing the facts.

I was leaning towards giving the kid a second chance before I read the letter.
Sweeney says he did his homework and "didn't need" to contact the victim's family before making the decision.
I think he should have read this letter at least. If he did read the letter then he's a fool for providing a Bruin's contract instead of some arm's length non-official support while seeing whether a chronic repeat offender juvenile bully can become something other than a manipulative adult bully.

Letter from the family of the disabled kid to Miller that was published. If he indeed did all of this, Miller deserves to be cancelled. This was not one incident as he calls it but years of abuse that continued well after he was 14.
- dcz28

As much as I think it’s incredibly unfair to tell this kid he can never be an NHL player because of actions he is responsible for as a first grader through 14 years old and I guess beyond, reading this letter does make it very difficult to root for this kid or think he ever deserves a shot at being a pro athlete. Some disgusting stuff in there. We’ve all made mistakes in our childhood but this kid could just be a really bad seed. If that’s the case I understand why he’s being kicked to the curb by Bettman and the NHL today. You always want to believe that there aren’t people out in this world that are as cruel as this kid might be. I hope he’s matured and suffered so much already from the consequences of his actions and he wants to be a good person. But reading this letter certainly changes how I feel about the situation

This ‘kid’ hasn’t matured enough the past 5 years to apologize…he shouldn’t be playing pro hockey.

It takes a certain kind of person to bully a disabled person. That's not a character flaw, it is being a sociopath... no compassion or empathy. People like that do not change. They may hide it for a while, but it will come back.
The Bruins have a great core of leaders. Bergeron is the model of what a captain should be. Marchand is outspoken in his support of gays and minorities. Then Sweeney thinks this is going to help the team? You KNOW the Bruins players want nothing to do with this guy.
They are on a roll, playing winning hockey and they sign a cancer?
Terrible move, terrible person, embarrassed to be a fan right now.

...and for everyone making excuses for this kid, saying he was in eighth grade, only 14 years old... That is DEFINATELY old enough to know better. He wasn't a 'kid' he was a young adult. At that age I had a job, was thinking about getting my first car. I didn't know anyone who put candy in a urinal and gave it to a disabled person.
He was obviously raised by terrible parents which does not excuse him, it only enhanced his sociapathic tendencies.
- OrrFour

Thank you Dr. Phil.

The problem with this kid is, nobody has ever stomped a mudhole in him and walked it dry.

I'll watch this kid & pull for him all the way. Monster LMAO!!!

Pull up all the bad things THUGS did when they were 13-14-15 years old & there would be no NBA or NFL. END OF STORY.

Evander Kane ring a bell?

Make sure you wear your mask in your basement watching CNN.

- Goalie-33

Are you that ignorant naturally, or does it take effort? I feel sorry for your family for having to be around you.

Love all the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers bringing politics into this discussion about hockey. Keep showcasing your ignorance in front of the world. It might sound clever in your tiny head, but it doesn't play well outside your circle of fellow fuktards.

But yeah, keep it up, it helps me figure out who the morons are in this group.

Are you that ignorant naturally, or does it take effort? I feel sorry for your family for having to be around you.
- PDO-Speedwagon

Son you have ZERO Clue about the real World.

Keep living the dream that you are perfect in your lovers eyes


Great Job BOSTON & Sweeney!

Have to work harder tonight boys. Kick the crap out of the leafs!!!

I have been a fan of the Bruins for over 30 years, and a hockeybuzz reader for many of them, but this is the first time I’ve been moved to respond.

When those who use reason and respect are all on one side, and the trolls are all on the other, it’s clear what is just. I have yet to hear a single well-reasoned or supported argument in favor of this, and it sickens me to read the drivel being put forth in blatant disregard of basic human decency.

I will appreciate the last days of Bergeron, but short of a dramatic step back from this decision or resignation of management, I will look elsewhere for my hockey fix. I don’t want to be associated with people who make this terrible a decision, nor the people who support them.

I have been a fan of the Bruins for over 30 years, and a hockeybuzz reader for many of them, but this is the first time I’ve been moved to respond.

When those who use reason and respect are all on one side, and the trolls are all on the other, it’s clear what is just. I have yet to hear a single well-reasoned or supported argument in favor of this, and it sickens me to read the drivel being put forth in blatant disregard of basic human decency.

I will appreciate the last days of Bergeron, but short of a dramatic step back from this decision or resignation of management, I will look elsewhere for my hockey fix. I don’t want to be associated with people who make this terrible a decision, nor the people who support them.
- mowichleu

Bye bye Oprah

As we have seen far too often over the past few yearsl Democrats are quite willing to give serial rapists, felons with anywhere from 25-50 priors, homicide suspects and more numerous chances with zero bail, zero jail time, and early release. So, why shouldn't this 14 year old at the time individual get A 2nd chance
- hockeygm

I bet you’re fun at parties.

As we have seen far too often over the past few yearsl Democrats are quite willing to give serial rapists, felons with anywhere from 25-50 priors, homicide suspects and more numerous chances with zero bail, zero jail time, and early release. So, why shouldn't this 14 year old at the time individual get A 2nd chance
- hockeygm

Oh (frank) off!

So, apparently, the Bruins have parted ways with Mitchell Miller…

So, apparently, the Bruins have parted ways with Mitchell Miller…
- Bourque1970

Yeah, after "new information" came to light. Either Neely/Sweeney are bold face liars about this (likely) or they are both completely incompetent (also likely).

Yeah, after "new information" came to light. Either Neely/Sweeney are bold face liars about this (likely) or they are both completely incompetent (also likely).
- bluemoon737

So, apparently, the Bruins have parted ways with Mitchell Miller…
- Bourque1970

Good. Now part ways with Neely and Sweeney. These 2 idiots have been running the Hockey ops into the ground for years. Montgomery has the magic touch apparently cause he's making chicken salad out of chicken poop.

Good. Now part ways with Neely and Sweeney. These 2 idiots have been running the Hockey ops into the ground for years. Montgomery has the magic touch apparently cause he's making chicken salad out of chicken poop.
- glove_was_stuck

I just dont see how you can keep Neely and Sweeney around after this. They just created a PR nightmare for absolutely no reason.

Glad they parted ways with the kid, but FFS the level of incompetence is just off the (frank)ing charts. Fire them. They will never work in another organization ever again.

Yeah, after "new information" came to light. Either Neely/Sweeney are bold face liars about this (likely) or they are both completely incompetent (also likely).
- bluemoon737

They saw the prospect and his USHL points and didnt do any further diligence. Didn't contact the family or the league. Didnt care what players tought. It all looks so (frank)ing bad.

I cant believe I have to say this, but thank goodness Bettman stepped up and told the bruins to (frank) off with this guy. You know its bad when BETTMAN of all people has the moral high ground.

And sending Bergy and Foligno out to cover up the PR nightmare. Sweeney and Neely are (frank)ing cowards. Fire them now.