Coyotes renounce rights to Mitchell Miller

The Arizona Coyotes are renouncing the rights to 2020 fourth-round draft pick Mitchell Miller, the team announced Thursday.

Arizona said on Oct. 26 that the organization wouldn't cut ties with Miller despite having knowledge that in 2016 he bullied Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a former classmate who is Black and has a developmental disability. However, the club has since reversed course.

"We have decided to renounce the rights to Mitchell Miller, effective immediately," Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said in a statement. "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.

"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. 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."

Meyer-Crothers said Miller consistently harassed him, beat him up, and frequently called him the N-word and "brownie" while the two grew up together in Ohio.

Miller was set for his freshman season at North Dakota, but on Friday, the school announced he is no longer a member of the hockey program. He can still attend the university as a student.