Prospect Info: 2020 Draft #111 - Mitchell Miller (RHD) [Mod Warning post #312]

[PainForShane]

To be clear, I DO think Mitchell Miller should get a second chance. But he doesn't have to be drafted by an NHL team right now.

Even if he doesn't get drafted, his life is not over. Miller's going to college as a hockey recruit, by all accounts UND has a good team and if he's good at hockey, he has a legitimate chance at being an instrumental part of a national championship level team as an 18 year old. In my opinion he can work his way up like every other undrafted 18 year old in the world (of which there are many)

 

[rt]

To be clear, I DO think Mitchell Miller should get a second chance. But he doesn't have to be drafted by an NHL team right now.

Even if he doesn't get drafted, his life is not over. Miller's going to college as a hockey recruit, by all accounts UND has a good team and if he's good at hockey, he has a legitimate chance at being an instrumental part of a national championship level team as an 18 year old. In my opinion he can work his way up like every other undrafted 18 year old in the world (of which there are many)

He moved to Michigan to be part of the illustrious Honey Baked program right after his sentencing. He’s moved from program to program since and kept out of trouble.

While don’t disagree with your general “show me” sentiment, I wonder where the line is. Why does it start on draft day? Why not before?

“There’s justifiably a lot of outrage out there with the publication of today’s story on Miller. But in speaking to scouts, this is a story that has been known in hockey circles for quite some time.

In fact, Miller has been lauded by many in hockey for owning what he did and getting out in front of it. And while the Coyotes are getting buried in an avalanche of bad press for this, the fact remains that there are many other people in the hockey world who were willing to allow Miller on their teams and in their organizations after the incident.

* What about the Detroit Honeybaked organization, one of the most prestigious minor hockey programs in North America, who allowed Miller to play for their under-16 team for two seasons after he was convicted?

* What about USA Hockey, the governing body for youth hockey in the United States, which has welcomed Miller as a member of national teams for two World Jr. Hockey Challenges and the Under-18 Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament?

* What about the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, who drafted him 17th overall in 2017 and had him on their team for a season, and the Tri-City Storm, who traded for him prior to last season?

* What about the USHL itself, who honored Miller by placing him on its first all-star team last season?

* What about the University of North Dakota, who recruited and landed Miller and has given him an athletic scholarship?

* What about the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario League, who drafted him 62nd overall in 2017 in the hopes that he might choose major junior hockey over the U.S. college route?

You can only surmise that those organizations (a) weren’t aware of Miller’s conviction, a possibility that is quite slim; (b) were aware of them, but came to the conclusion after doing their due diligence that Miller is indeed remorseful and changed and was worth the risk; or (c) saw Miller as player who was good enough for them to overlook his transgressions.“

What were the Coyotes thinking when they drafted Mitchell Miller?

 

[rt]

There is the single comment from the victim’s mother this week in which she stated in part of one sentence that Miller “taunted” her son again “two years later”

Apart from that we’ve seen Honey Baked, Cedar Rapids, Tri-City, Sarnia, USA Hockey, North Dakota and finally Arizona all take a chance on him AFTER his sentencing.

I guess here is where I have to state for the 600th time that:

A) There’s no excuse for what Miller did.

B) It’s as likely as not that he’s not sorry and isn’t better

C) I respect the victim’s mother and hope that I, myself, am one day able to give back like she has and open my home to children in need of one.

D) Believe the Coyotes were very stupid to draft this player.

E) There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to discuss different elements of this story that challenge my thinking. It’s an interesting exploration of emotions and thought exercise. There’s no need for any of us to be heroes online about this. It doesn’t have to be political or petty. This discussion board can be, on occasion, used for actual f***ing discourse. If only the drive by mental midgets could handle it.

 

[PainForShane]

There is the single comment from the victim’s mother this week in which she stated in part of one sentence that Miller “taunted” her son again “two years later”

Apart from that we’ve seen Honey Baked, Cedar Rapids, Tri-City, Sarnia, USA Hockey, North Dakota and finally Arizona all take a chance on him AFTER his sentencing.

I guess here is where I have to state for the 600th time that:

A) There’s no excuse for what Miller did.

B) It’s as likely as not that he’s not sorry and isn’t better

C) I respect the victim’s mother and hope that I, myself, am one day able to give back like she has and open my home to children in need of one.

D) Believe the Coyotes were very stupid to draft this player.

E) There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to discuss different elements of this story that challenge my thinking. It’s an interesting exploration of emotions and thought exercise. There’s no need for any of us to be heroes online about this. It doesn’t have to be political or petty. This discussion board can be, on occasion, used for actual f***ing discourse. If only the drive by mental midgets could handle it.

Ha! Good luck with that. Figured I'd respond because optimism.

Imo the bigger issue isn't about Mitchell. It's more about the team and business (which no one had really discussed in 15 pages of posts).

Meaning what? As a business, the Coyotes should have / could have had every casual minority hockey fan in North America if they played it right. Minority owner, minority CEO, lots of Latino outreach, heavily minority market, all they needed was a minority superstar like an Iginla or Seth Jones or even a high draft pick like Byfield.

If you think about it, no other team has anything close to what we have, hockey is a white man's sport. But if you do it right, in 10-15 years you could have a bunch of random beige / brown / black hockey fans in Miami / elsewhere in the South all wearing Coyotes jerseys.

Instead, we drafted a guy who demonstrated enough racist behavior that he was convicted in court. Anyone on the fence think about that... we all know racists but how many are so racist they were convicted in court? Sure he was young but... why even touch this.

I mean if he's Connor McDavid maybe... but for a fourth round draft pick (who might have been a 3rd round without these potential character issues)? Seriously what are you doing Coyotes

 

[TheLegend]

Biz gives his opinion on the Miller situation..... (@ 40 minute mark.)

‎Spittin Chiclets: Spittin' Chiclets Episode 304: Featuring Elias Pettersson on Apple Podcasts

 

[Jakey53]

Ha! Good luck with that. Figured I'd respond because optimism.

Imo the bigger issue isn't about Mitchell. It's more about the team and business (which no one had really discussed in 15 pages of posts).

Meaning what? As a business, the Coyotes should have / could have had every casual minority hockey fan in North America if they played it right. Minority owner, minority CEO, lots of Latino outreach, heavily minority market, all they needed was a minority superstar like an Iginla or Seth Jones or even a high draft pick like Byfield.

If you think about it, no other team has anything close to what we have, hockey is a white man's sport. But if you do it right, in 10-15 years you could have a bunch of random beige / brown / black hockey fans in Miami / elsewhere in the South all wearing Coyotes jerseys.

Instead, we drafted a guy who demonstrated enough racist behavior that he was convicted in court. Anyone on the fence think about that... we all know racists but how many are so racist they were convicted in court? Sure he was young but... why even touch this.

I mean if he's Connor McDavid maybe... but for a fourth round draft pick (who might have been a 3rd round without these potential character issues)? Seriously what are you doing Coyotes

If Miller had McDavid's talent every team would have him on their list and would draft him first. Another fact, not fiction, is that if this happened in Canada this story would not have been published. He would have been protected by law because he was a minor.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

This one has troubled me. As a pediatrician, I see the occasional delinquent. This kid's actions were heinous. Sinful.
So here's what I'm wrestling with: How much should a heinous, sinful act of a 14 year old affect his opportunities as an adult? There's a reason why the slate is wiped clean on an adolescent after he turns 18. Some crimes - murder, rape, can follow a child who is convicted as an adult. Should this kid have faced an adult court for what he did? If not, should we leave this now adult alone for what he did as a 14 year old?

I'd be a lot more sanguine about things if his behavior had stopped cold at 14 after the magistrate intervened.

The fact that he kept taunting the kid - psychological bullying, if not physical - for a full two years after that rather significantly reduces my desire to cut him a break.

 

[Heldig]

I'd be a lot more sanguine about things if his behavior had stopped cold at 14 after the magistrate intervened.

The fact that he kept taunting the kid - psychological bullying, if not physical - for a full two years after that rather significantly reduces my desire to cut him a break.

I keep reading this but there is no explanation other than a comment Miller rollerbladed past the victim's house. That is not "a full 2 years". That is an incident 2 years after the court case. Big difference.

 

[rt]

I keep reading this but there is no explanation other than a comment Miller rollerbladed past the victim's house. That is not "a full 2 years". That is an incident 2 years after the court case. Big difference.

The timelines are so f***ed up. Almost nobody is getting the details correct and it’s 100% Craig Harris. This guy is the ultimate dirt ball hatchet man. He’s scum.

The comment about rollerblading came on the same day as the final hearing where the judge’s statements were made.

The comment about taunting two years later was from JMC’s Facebook “letter” to the NHL/Coyotes/Bill Armstrong. It was from earlier this week.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

That is not "a full 2 years". That is an incident 2 years after the court case. Big difference.

There really isn't a substantive difference, if the larger point is that his behavior and motivations apparently had not changed two years after the Big Event.

 

[rt]

Spring of 2016: Miller is sentenced.

Summer 2016: Miller moves to Detroit

16/17-17/18: Miller is w/HoneyBaked

Summer 2018: Miller moves to Iowa

2018/2019: Miller is w/ Cedar Rapids

Summer 2019: Moves to Nebraska

2019/2020: Miller is w/ Tri-City

Essentially, there is the sentencing, followed soon after by a fairly whirlwind junior hockey career that saw him living with billets all over the mid-west and playing for various mid-western amateur hockey leagues, including Team USA for the Ivan Hlinka-Gretzky tournament in Alberta.

I would guess that means the Coyotes has four different organizations they could speak to about Miller (5 if you count UND and 6 if you count Sarnia). Also, at least three different billet families and at least three different High Schools.

If the managers, coaches, trainers, and teammates at Honey Baked gave him the thumbs up and so did his billets and school in Detroit then I can see why Cedar Rapids gave him the shot.

If his managers, coaches, trainers and teammates with the Rough Riders gave him the thumbs up and so did his billets and high school in Iowa, then I can see why Tri-City gave him a shot.

If his managers, coaches, trainers and teammates with the Storm gave him the thumbs up and so did his billets and high school in Nebraska, then I can see why USA Hockey gave him a shot.

If his managers, coaches, trainers and teammates with USA Hockey gave him a thumbs up, then I can see why North Dakota recruited him and Sarnia drafted him.

There are people all along the way keeping an eye on him, vetting him, analyzing him, getting to know him, talking to him and about him. People is the relatively close knit and small amateur hockey community of the mid-west.

It seems at every stop he did well enough to have these people vouch for him, and for him to be moved along to the next step.

This story is new and shocking to all of us fans. To the greater hockey community at large, it’s old news and they seem to have their arms completely around it. We’re just very slow to catch-up.

 

[rt]

There really isn't a substantive difference, if the larger point is that his behavior and motivations apparently had not changed two years after the Big Event.

JMC did not say that his behavior has not changed. She said this:

"Hello — I’m the mother of the boy that Mitchell Miller bullied," began the letter from Joni Meyer-Crothers to the Coyotes organization days after the draft. "I read the statements made by the GM (Bill Armstrong) etc. and find them demeaning to our son. Are you aware Mitchell NEVER apologized to our son? Are you aware two years ago he still taunted him? Are you aware this went on for years? Do you understand the mental damage Mitchell did to our son?"

Q1: She confirmed previously that she had received the court-ordered apology letter. So while Miller didn’t apologize by reading a statement in court, he did apologize via a mandated letter. His having “NEVER” apologized is open to interpretation.

Q2: This is a revelation, for sure. This hadn’t been mentioned anywhere else and is extremely worrisome. I wish there was more detail provided but there isn’t. Unlike the “Big Event” we just don’t have any details at all beyond the categorization of “taunted”. Whatever it was, I’m sure it wasn’t good.

Q3: I think this indicates the time before the “Big Event” rather than the time between it and the final “taunt” two years later. At least I hope it means that. But it’s not clear.

Q4: This just awful. So bad. I actually just finished reading The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay earlier this month. It was surprisingly good (Courtenay mostly does boiler-plate fiction, honestly). It’s about a small boy who is horribly bullied and tortured in South Africa early in his life at a boarding school there. Some of the torture portrayed in the book sounds very like what IMC suffered at the hands of Miller. The entire novel is about how he deals with that trauma into his adulthood. This is a complete side bar, but having just polished off a very long book about injustice, I keep thinking about it during this news story.

 

[87turbobuick]

Craig MacTavish killed a person and was in the NHL for 30+ years after serving his time. I would not have drafted Miller but time will tell if he has changed.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Potential bombshell:

 

[WrinkledPossum]

Potential bombshell:

Wow this is the quickest our first pick of the draft has become a bust..

 

[LuckyNumber11]

What a nightmare

 

[The Feckless Puck]

 

[ManByng]

Wow this is the quickest our first pick of the draft has become a bust..

stunning! If this is true then good on the Yotes!!

 

[Alberta Yote]

Good. Now fire whoever made the final decision to draft him.

 

[GhostofTommyBolin]

"Let's take that Mitchell kid! We'll be the dumb organization that gives him a chance. This can't possibly backfire."

A short while later...

"Oops. We didn't realize we'd be publicly scorned. We are renouncing him! See! We totally care about stuff!"

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

Just shows how dumb it was to make him the pick in the first place. Unfathomably stupid.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Good. Now fire whoever made the final decision to draft him.

I'm not sure it hasn't already happened. But yes.

 

[mpir3]

I feel like this board could run the team better...for cheaper. Very frustrating to be a fan of this organization.

 

[Heldig]

What a disaster the Coyotes have become / continue to be.

Bet you money another team signs him a year from now.

Wonder if Uncle Gary will award the Coyotes a compensatory pick next year?

 

[rt]

What a weak and pathetic solution. Extraordinarily cowardly display. Zero backbone, and just no resolve, whatsoever.

He said this like 3 days ago:
Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said the team did not run away from selecting Miller.

"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.

"Given our priorities on diversity and inclusion, we believe that we are in the best position to guide Mitchell into becoming a leader for this cause and preventing bullying and racism now and in the future. As an organization, we have made our expectations very clear to him. We are willing to work with Mitchell and put in the time, effort, and energy and provide him with the necessary resources and platform to confront bullying and racism. This isn't a story about excuses or justifications. It's a story about reflection, growth, and community impact. A true leader finds ways for every person to contribute to the solution. We all need to be a part of the solution."

Gutierrez is a member of the league's Executive Inclusion Council, which is charged with fighting racism and increasing diversity in hockey.

—-
^ so basically they're willing to be brave, fight the good fight, rescue and rehabilitate this boy, and be the change they want to see in society ... UNLESSSSSSSS ... people criticize them. If they're criticized, they'll immediately throw all of that out the window and capitulate.