Bruins reach “settlement” with Mitchell Miller

The Boston Bruins found themselves embroiled in controversy last season when they made the bizarre call to ink former Arizona Coyotes draft pick Mitchell Miller to a contract, despite his having plead guilty in an Ohio juvenile court in 2016 for rather stunning racially abusive treatment of a developmentally disabled black classmate.

Following the understandable backlash, the Bruins soon made the call to disassociate themselves from Miller; this came shortly after Commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear that in no uncertain terms Miller would not be eligible any time soon to play in the NHL. 

He's now officially been removed from the team reserve list, meaning that the Bruins have washed their hands of Miller for once and for all, and for those of you wondering why his contract wasn't terminated back in November as originally thought, keep reading. Apparently, he remained technically on the roster. 

Via Larry Brooks of The New York Post: 

"He remained under contract, due a $95,000 annual signing bonus on the two-way deal in which he was scheduled to receive an NHL base of $750,000 for 2022-23 and $775,000 for the next two years with a minor league salary of $82,500 per.

Slap Shots learned from an NHL official on Friday that, “He and the Bruins have parted ways.” A Bruins spokesman then told us via email, “Can confirm Mitch Miller is not under contract with the team. Cannot comment further.”

What happened?

Slap Shots has been told the Bruins immediately terminated Miller’s contract in conjunction with their disassociation from him. There is, however, no record of the team placing him on unconditional waivers for the purpose of termination as required by the CBA. Then too, that regulation applies to mutually agreed termination, which this was not.

The NHLPA, in turn, filed a grievance.

We have learned that in lieu of a hearing, the parties reached a settlement under which Boston was released from its obligation while Miller received an unknown sum and was granted free agency." 

While it took much longer than it should have, this saga appears finally over. And unless Miller demonstrates genuine remorse for his unconscionable past actions, don't expect to ever see an NHL team take a waiver on him again.