Arizona Coyotes Renouncing Rights to 4th-Round Pick, Mitchell Miller
The Arizona Coyotes are reportedly renouncing their 4th-round selection from the NHL draft, and therefore will be letting Mitchell Miller go. The draft pick came under a ton of scrutiny after it was made public that Miller was convicted of bullying a disabled classmate when he was 14-years-old.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 29, 2020
After the story dropped this week, the Hockey Diversity Alliance blasted the Coyotes for their selection and wanted answers after the team's CEO was on the NHL's inclusion committee.
.@NHL and @ArizonaCoyotes should sign the #HDAPledge and start practicing what they preach. pic.twitter.com/oHKVXUzqEH
— Hockey Diversity Alliance (@TheOfficialHDA) October 28, 2020
Here's more on the full story:
Four years ago, Miller admitted in an Ohio juvenile court to bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who was tricked into licking a candy push pop that Miller and another boy had wiped in a bathroom urinal. Meyer-Crothers had to be tested for hepatitis, HIV and STDs, but the tests came back negative, according to a police report.
Meyer-Crothers, also 18 and who now lives in Detroit, said Miller had taunted him for years, constantly calling him “brownie” and the “N-word,” while repeatedly hitting him while growing up in the Toledo suburb. Other students at their junior high confirmed to police that Miller repeatedly used the “N-word” in referring to Meyer-Crothers.
After the pick was questioned, the Coyotes CEO had this to say:
Our fundamental mission is to ensure a safe environment — whether in schools, in our community, in hockey rinks, or in the workplace — to be free of bullying and racism. When we first learned of Mitchell’s story, it would have been easy for us to dismiss him — many teams did. Instead, we felt it was our responsibility to be a part of the solution in a real way — not just saying and doing the right things ourselves but ensuring that others are too
Turns out that's not the case after all, as the Arizona Coyotes have become a punchline of the NHL. Regardless, this is no laughing matter, and Mitchell Miller should not be in the NHL.
Great to see they got one right.
Photo credit: Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire
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