*The Arizona Coyotes have renounced the rights to draft pick Mitchell Miller, after a recent report exposed that he pleaded guilty in 2016 to a series of racist bullying incidents that landed him in juvenile court.
Earlier this week, the Arizona Republic published a piece about Miller’s conviction at age 18 for “bullying” Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a developmentally disabled, Black classmate.
Miller admitted in juvenile court to bullying Meyer-Crothers and using racial slurs including the “N-word.”
Coyotes’ President & CEO Xavier Gutierrez reacted to the report in a statement regarding the decision to curb Miller.
“We have decided to renounce the rights to Mitchell Miller, effective immediately. Prior to selecting Mitchell in the NHL Draft, we were aware that a bullying incident took place in 2016. We do not condone this type of behavior but embraced this as a teachable moment to work with Mitchell to make him accountable for his actions and provide him with an opportunity to be a leader on anti-bullying and anti-racism efforts.”
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The Arizona Coyotes have renounced the rights to Mitchell Miller:https://t.co/ZZ3WPmDIaT
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 29, 2020
Miller was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, as the 111th overall pick earlier this month.
In the team’s statement, Gutierrez apologized to Isaiah and his family.
“We have learned more about the entire matter, and more importantly, the impact it has had on Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family. What we learned does not align with the core values and vision for our organization and leads to our decision to renounce our draft rights. On behalf of the Arizona Coyotes ownership and our entire organization, I would like to apologize to Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family,” Gutierrez said.
“We are building a model franchise on and off the ice and will do the right thing for Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family, our fans and our partners. Mr. Miller is now a free agent and can pursue his dream of becoming an NHL player elsewhere.”
Coyotes’ General Manager Bill Armstrong also noted that he fully supports “our decision to renounce Mitchell Miller’s draft rights. It was a unique situation for me not being able to participate in this year’s Draft and we were going through a transition with our scouting department,” Armstrong said.
“Mitchell is a good hockey player, but we need to do the right thing as an organization and not just as a hockey team. I’d like to apologize to Isaiah and the Meyer-Crothers family for everything they have dealt with the past few months. I wish them all the best in the future.”
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