Hockey

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.