NHL

The Boston Bruins announced Tuesday that they have hired an independent firm to review the team's player-vetting process following the signing of Mitchell Miller.

The Bruins said in a statement:

"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. 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.

"As part of this commitment, the Boston Bruins have retained an experienced and respected team of professionals, led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch of the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, to conduct an independent review of our player-vetting process. This will help us ensure that our process going forward reflects our core values. The Bruins organization will fully cooperate with the independent review team and will publicly disclose the results of the review upon its completion."

The Bruins signed Miller to an entry-level contract earlier this month with the intention of assigning him to the team's American Hockey League affiliate Providence Bruins. The decision was met with immense criticism and backlash, and the organization announced a few days later that they had decided to part ways with him.

The Arizona Coyotes selected Miller in the 2020 NHL draft, but his draft rights were relinquished less than one month after he was picked following a story published by Craig Harris and José M. Romero of the Arizona Republic that revealed harrowing details of Miller's past.

In 2016, Miller was convicted in Ohio juvenile court of bullying and assaulting a Black, developmentally disabled classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers.

The Arizona Republic story detailed how Miller would direct racial slurs toward Meyer-Crothers and physically assault him while the two were in middle school. Miller also wiped a lollipop in a bathroom urinal and tricked Meyer-Crothers into eating it.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the Bruins did not consult the league before signing Miller, who he said is "not eligible at this point to come into the NHL."

Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement announcing the team would be parting with Miller:

"The decision to sign this young man was made after careful consideration of the facts as we 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.

"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. We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth."

Neely added that the Bruins would be "reevaluating" their "internal processes for vetting individuals who wish to earn the privilege of playing."

A number of Bruins players admitted before Miller's release that they did not agree with the signing of Miller, including team captain Patrice Bergeron and veteran forward Nick Foligno.

Bergeron said, per Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston:

"I was asked by Don (Bruins GM Don Sweeney) close to a week ago for my opinion. I had my concerns. 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 and 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 that 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."

The Bruins have posted their best start in franchise history at 14-2-0. However, the signing of Miller cast a dark cloud over the organization, and the player still hasn't been officially released.

According to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa, the Bruins can't terminate Miller's contract "without facing a grievance that the NHLPA would be likely to pursue." Shinzawa noted a number of steps the organization could take to officially rid itself of Miller include buying out his contract at the end of the 2022-23 season or negotiating a settlement.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was rewarded for his hard work by being named an alternate captain for Sunday's win over the Washington Capitals.

He came through with a goal and assist in the 6-3 victory.

"Kuch has been around for a few years now. I'm sure, inside, he was excited about it," Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler said after Monday’s practice, per John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times. "It means a lot, no matter how old you are. To have an 'A' on your jersey in the NHL or a 'C' on your jersey in the NHL is a big deal."

Kucherov is one of the NHL's best players when healthy. He's made three All-Star Game appearances and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP for the 2018-19 season. He also helped lead the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.

He has been off to a strong start in 2022-23, leading the team with 23 points in 15 games. His 16 assists put him tied for sixth in the NHL.

Injuries have been the only negative in his career to this point.

The 29-year-old Russian superstar missed the entire 2020-21 regular season while recovering from hip surgery before returning for the playoffs. He returned to injured reserve early this past season after suffering a lower-body injury that required a medical procedure.

Kucherov has worked his way back from each of these issues and is now playing as well as ever. The team has rewarded him with a leadership role 10 years into his career with the Lightning.

Another small group of hockey legends will soon be enshrined in the sport's illustrious Hall of Fame. In fact, these six former players don't have much longer to wait.

On Monday night, the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame class will be inducted during a ceremony held at Meridian Hall Theatre in Toronto. The event will be the culmination of the various events that have been held throughout the city this weekend leading up to it.

Here's everything you need to know heading into this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Info
Date: Monday, Nov. 14

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NHL Network

Induction Class

Daniel Alfredsson: Forward for Ottawa Senators (1995-2013 and Detroit Red Wings (2013-14)

Herb Carnegie: Forward in various Canadian leagues (1944-1954)

Roberto Luongo: Goaltender for New York Islanders (1999-2000), Florida Panthers (2000-2006, 2014-2019) and Vancouver Canucks (2006-2014)

Riikka Sallinen: Forward for Finland's national women's hockey team (1998, 2002, 2014 and 2018 Olympics)

Daniel Sedin: Forward for Vancouver Canucks (2000-2018)

Henrik Sedin: Forward for Vancouver Canucks (2000-2018)

Preview

There's a bit of a Vancouver flavor to the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame class. That's because half of the class spent a substantial amount of time as teammates with the Canucks.

Twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin spent their entire NHL careers together, playing the same 18 seasons in Vancouver. They'll be inducted alongside goaltender Roberto Luongo, who played eight of his 19 seasons with the Canucks (although he's more known for his 11 seasons with the Panthers).

It's only fitting that the Sedin twins are now going into the Hall of Fame together. Each is deserving, too. Daniel was a two-time All-Star who tallied 393 goals and 648 assists in the NHL, while Henrik was also a two-time All-Star with 240 goals and 830 assists over his career.

Both Sedins and Luongo were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

“You never expect this to happen. And then you get the call," Daniel Sedin said, per the Associated Press.

Daniel Alfredsson had been eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame since 2017, so he had to wait a bit before getting that call. The 18-year NHL veteran spent all but one of his seasons with the Senators, and he became an integral part of that franchise's success.

Riikka Sallinen won two Olympic bronze medals while playing for Finland's women's national team. Herb Carnegie was a pioneer for the sport in Canada and is one of the best Black players to have not played in the NHL.

All six of this year's Hall of Fame inductees are deserving, each for their own reasons.

“You look around and see all the plaques, you see all the names,” Luongo said, per the AP. “It’s pretty special.”

Of the four former NHL players in the 2022 class, none won the Stanley Cup. However, that didn't stop any of them from having Hall of Fame careers and making a huge impact on the sport in the process.

Now, as Luongo alluded to, they'll be enshrined among the all-time greats once they participate in Monday's prestigious ceremony.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced Friday that the next World Cup of Hockey will not be held in February 2024 as originally planned.

In a statement, the NHL and NHLPA said "the current environment is not feasible" to hold the tournament next year, but they are hopeful it can return in February 2025:

The inaugural World Cup of Hockey was played in 1996, and the next installment did not occur until 2004 during the NHL lockout. The concept was revived in 2016 and was scheduled to be played again four years later in 2020, but the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement caused its cancellation.

The Canada Cup, the precursor to the World Cup of Hockey, was contested five times from 1976 to 1991 and featured six of the top hockey nations in the world each time.

Canada was victorious on four occasions, while the Soviet Union took home the Canada Cup in 1981.

When the World Cup of Hockey debuted to much fanfare in 1996, it was largely due to the anticipation of a Canada vs. United States final. In a three-game series played in Philadelphia and Montreal, Team USA prevailed.

Canada beat Finland in the final at the next World Cup of Hockey in 2004, and the concept was shelved for the next 12 years.

Upon the World Cup of Hockey's return in 2016, some changes were made to the format. It still included eight teams like the 1996 and 2004 editions, but two of them were unique mash-ups.

Along with Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and Czech Republic, there was a Team Europe featuring European players from countries other than those already involved, and a Team North America, featuring Canadian and American players aged 23 or younger.

Canada defeated Europe in the best-of-three final, and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby was named the MVP after scoring a tournament-high 10 points.

In recent years, the world's best players have not had many opportunities to compete on the international stage.

NHL players were not permitted to compete at the 2018 or 2022 Winter Olympics, leaving only the IIHF World Championship, which often doesn't attract the best of the best.

A 2025 World Cup of Hockey represents the next big opportunity for top NHL stars to compete internationally, followed by a potential return of NHL players at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The Edmonton Oilers announced Evander Kane is expected to miss 3-4 months after he was cut on the wrist by a skate blade in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Kane addressed the situation Wednesday morning and said he was "on the mend," thanking the medical personnel who acted quickly to treat his injury:

The 31-year-old got knocked to the ice by Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers in the second period. Lightning forward Pat Maroon skated past and inadvertently caught his wrist.

Kane got to his feet and immediately skated toward his bench.

"It's scary, certainly scary," Oilers teammate Connor McDavid told reporters. "I think you could feel the energy in the entire rink kind of just get sucked out. We're thinking about him. We're hearing he's doing OK, but that's obviously initial."

Kane has made 14 appearances for Edmonton this year. With five goals and eight assists, he's fifth on the team in points (13). His absence will force somebody to step up alongside Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman on the Oilers' second line.

To account for Kane's shift to long-term injured reserve, Edmonton called up Mattias Janmark and Klim Kostin from the Bakersfield Condors, its AHL affiliate.