For the second time in 48 hours, Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins had to field questions about Mitchell Miller.
On Saturday, Bruins players were asked about the team's decision to sign the 20-year-old defenseman, who was convicted in 2016 for bullying Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities, when he was 14 years old. On Monday, players reacted to news that Boston had parted ways with Mitchell after learning "new information" about the situation.
"In a way, yes," Bergeron told reporters when asked if most of the locker room disagreed with the Bruins' decision to sign Mitchell. "Like anything, it's not like everyone had something to say. But the general opinion was that.
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Bergeron voiced his displeasure with Miller's signing Saturday, saying Miller's past behavior "goes against" the culture Bergeron and his teammates have built in Boston. While Bergeron didn't reveal details about his conversations with general manager Don Sweeney, he felt it was important to voice his concerns.
"To stay true to my values, really. What it comes down to and what is important is to stand up for what you think is wrong," Bergeron said. "That situation, it goes back to what we've built here as an organization, as a team, as a locker room. That is to be inclusive and a locker room of respect and integrity."
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Mitchell's signing Friday drew immediate backlash from Bruins fans, which Bergeron and veteran teammate Brad Marchand both say they understood.
Cam Neely addresses Mitchell Miller situation: 'I'm extremely upset'
"We appreciate and love the fan support and the reason everyone is so upset is they're so passionate about the group," Marchand told reporters Monday. "With the beliefs and the way that we handle the room, the type of people we want to have here, that bleeds throughout the organization and through the fans as well.
"That's why they are upset; because everyone expects to have good people in this room."
Bruins management handled the Mitchell situation horribly, creating an unnecessary controversy while forcing Meyer-Crothers and his family to relive past trauma. But fans of the team should be proud of Boston's core group of veteran players, who spoke out against the signing and remain committed to preserving an inclusive locker room environment.
"For us, nothing has changed as far as who we are as individuals, as a culture in this locker room, and what our core values are," Bergeron added. "As much as I understand (the fans being upset), we hear you and we feel like our values remain the same."
