Bruins Drag Out Mitchell Miller Saga With Unnecessary Third-Party Investigation
The Boston Bruins have taken the next step in the Mitchell Miller saga, hiring a third party to investigate the team's hiring and vetting process.
The team released a statement saying that they have procured the services of an independent team of investigators including former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch to look into their player-vetting process.
"The Boston Bruins strive every day to live our values and meet the high standards our associates, fans and community have come to expect. This includes treating everyone inside and outside our organization with dignity and respect." the statement read.
"We recently fell short of our high standards and disappointed both ourselves and many in our community. Moving forward, we are committed to ensuring that our values are reflected in everything we do as an organization, including our process for vetting future players."
What's wild is that the Bruins are trying to make it seem like Miller's history managed to fall through the cracks at some point in their vetting history.
That seems almost impossible.
Boston Bruins president Cam Neely holds a press conference regarding Mitchell Miller. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The Bruins Must Have Been Aware Of The Miller Situation
The Arizona Coyotes selected Mitchell Miller in the 4th round -- 111th overall -- in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, the plan was for him to play at the University of North Dakota.
However, his history of bullying a black classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, came to light and the Arizona Coyotes and UND cut ties with him.
How do I know this?
So, how would the Boston Bruins — who have an entire Hockey Operations department -- not know this?
They had to have known. They must have thought the heat had died down to sign Miller, who put up 83 points in 60 games last season in the USHL.
As we now know, people remembered.
Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch is part of the team that will perform a third-party investigation into the Boston Bruins' player vetting process. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Third-Party Investigation Is Pointless
For whatever reason, the Bs are in full panic mode. They had two options that probably would've put an end to the situation.
The first option would have been for team president Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney to take it on the chin and resign. The other would be to sit idly and wait for the heat to die down, which it inevitably would.
People would forget it happened and the Bruins brass who made the decision would come out unscathed.
The team already apologized and severed their ties with Miller, who had been signed to play with the Providence Bruins.
This story, unfortunately, isn't over as far as the pain Miller caused to classmate Isaiah Meyer Crothers.
However, the Bruins' involvement in it should have been done by now.
This third-party investigation is a bizarre attempt to save face. Especially when the results will be the same as if there never was an investigation. Loretta Lynch and Co. (by the way, does she not have anything better to do than work on a dog-and-pony-show for the Bruins?) will find that the team knew the baggage that came with the Bruins.
This third-party investigation is nothing but a waste of time and a way for the Bruins to prolong the organization's bleeding.
Whether Miller's professional career deserves to be over before it begins is up for debate.
One thing that isn't: the Boston Bruins have mismanaged the entire fiasco.
Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle