The Boston Bruins unveiled changes to their player hiring process on Thursday in connection with the fiasco surrounding Mitchell Miller’s Nov. 4 signing.
Embarrassed after granting a pact to a hopeful who committed several acts of intimidation and violence against Isaiah Meyers-Crothers, a young person who suffered from developmental problems, the Massachusetts organization had commissioned a former United States attorney general working for a law firm, Loretta Lynch, to revise the “modus operandi” of athlete background checks. Also, even if there was no misconduct on the part of employees, certain shortcomings must be corrected.
Consequently, some adjustments will have to be made by the Bruins, in particular the establishment of clear policies concerning behavior off the ice. Documentation relating to potentially problematic cases should be sufficient. The club will also have to collect the information necessary to verify the actions of young players off the ice. A third party will also be asked to investigate if it is appropriate to do so in order to report any unacceptable cases. Rehabilitation programs or specific training will have to be discussed internally if it is ever relevant to give them to a hockey player, depending on the nature of the alleged acts.
“The resources announced underscore the team’s commitment to its values and this includes the process of hiring future players,” President and CEO Charlie Jacobs said in a statement Thursday. . These improvements, which the club will enforce immediately, will help us achieve the high quality standards that our partners, supporters and community expect.”
Backtrack
Miller pleaded guilty in 2016 to one charge of assault and another of violating state law in youth court. The Arizona Coyotes drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 National League amateur auction, but later waived their rights to him after his past surfaced in the media.
Despite everything, Boston gave him another chance, before backtracking, some like captain Patrice Bergeron and league commissioner Gary Bettman displaying their skepticism at this signing. However, even though they said they had severed ties with the defender, the agreement binding the two parties is still valid.