NHL Atlantic

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was rewarded for his hard work by being named an alternate captain for Sunday's win over the Washington Capitals.

He came through with a goal and assist in the 6-3 victory.

"Kuch has been around for a few years now. I'm sure, inside, he was excited about it," Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler said after Monday’s practice, per John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times. "It means a lot, no matter how old you are. To have an 'A' on your jersey in the NHL or a 'C' on your jersey in the NHL is a big deal."

Kucherov is one of the NHL's best players when healthy. He's made three All-Star Game appearances and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP for the 2018-19 season. He also helped lead the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.

He has been off to a strong start in 2022-23, leading the team with 23 points in 15 games. His 16 assists put him tied for sixth in the NHL.

Injuries have been the only negative in his career to this point.

The 29-year-old Russian superstar missed the entire 2020-21 regular season while recovering from hip surgery before returning for the playoffs. He returned to injured reserve early this past season after suffering a lower-body injury that required a medical procedure.

Kucherov has worked his way back from each of these issues and is now playing as well as ever. The team has rewarded him with a leadership role 10 years into his career with the Lightning.

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the team made a mistake in signing prospect Mitchell Miller.

"The timing of it was never probably going to be good," Neely told reporters Monday. "I think it got down to the point of [whether] we're doing it or not. And we made the wrong decision."

The Bruins received criticism after signing Miller, who admitted in an Ohio juvenile court in 2016 to bullying former classmate Isaiah Meyer-Crothers. On Sunday, the team announced it was parting ways with the player.

"We like to take pride in what we do in the community and we hold ourselves accountable," Neely said Monday. "We dropped the ball and I'm here to apologize."

Miller had been a fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, but the team renounced his rights after details of the player's history were revealed. There were multiple incidents of bullying and harassing Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with disabilities. Other students confirmed his repeated use of the N-word directed toward Meyer-Crothers.

Miller showed remorse after his signing with the Bruins, although he indicated it was a single action that took place when he was in eighth grade.

"I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual," he said in a statement. "Since the incident, I have come to better understand the far-reaching consequences of my actions that I failed to recognize and understand nearly seven years ago."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was not consulted before the Bruins signed Miller to a deal, adding the player is not currently eligible to play in the NHL:

#NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the recent signing of Mitchell Miller by the Boston Bruins. pic.twitter.com/9lOeNSEK5T

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) November 5, 2022

Neely indicated Monday that he didn't expect as much backlash as the team received.

"Well initially, I was I was thinking it was going to be, 'OK, this kid deserves a second chance,'" he said. "And, you know, I thought there would be some people that were going to be upset about it, but to the extent of this, I misread that."

Miller, now 20, spent the 2021-22 season with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL.

Boston Bruins president Cam Neely announced Sunday the team has parted ways with recently signed prospect Mitchell Miller.

Neely wrote in part:

"Based on new information, we believe it is the best decision at this time to rescind the opportunity for Mitchell Miller to represent the Boston Bruins. We hope that he continues to work with professionals and programs to further his education and personal growth."

The Bruins were widely criticized for signing Miller after the move was announced Friday. In 2016, he admitted to an Ohio juvenile court that he repeatedly bullied and harassed Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black classmate with developmental disabilities. Miller was also accused of repeatedly using racist language toward Meyer-Crothers.

Neely apologized to Meyer-Crothers and his family.

"To Isaiah and his family, my deepest apologies if this signing made you and other victims feel unseen and unheard," Neely stated. "We apologize for the deep hurt and impact we have caused."

The Arizona Coyotes initially selected the 20-year-old Miller with the No. 111 pick in the 2020 NHL draft but renounced his draft rights after news of the bullying broke via a report from Craig Harris and José M. Romero of the Arizona Republic.

The Oct. 2020 report stated the following:

"Four years ago, Miller admitted in an Ohio juvenile court to bullying 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."

"It hurt my heart to be honest," Meyer-Crothers said when asked about the Coyotes drafting Miller.

"It's stupid that they (the Coyotes) didn't go back and look what happened in the past, but I can't do anything about it."

Miller didn't end up with the Coyotes and played last season with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, recording 83 points in 60 games and being named the league's player of the season.

The Bruins signed him to a three-year, $2,850,000 entry-level contract, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters that the league would conduct a full investigation into the bullying allegations if he was ever promoted from the minor leagues.

#NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the recent signing of Mitchell Miller by the Boston Bruins. pic.twitter.com/9lOeNSEK5T

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) November 5, 2022

Joni Meyer-Crothers, Isaiah's mother, spoke with NBC10 Boston after the Bruins signed him.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's a monster," she said.

"He told our son that his Black mom and dad didn't love him, that's why he had white parents. On a daily basis, was called the N-word. [Miller] would ask Isaiah to sit with him on the bus, and as soon as Isaiah would sit with him, him and his friends would just punch Isaiah in the head nonstop, and all he wanted was friends. So he was an easy target for Mitchell."

No specifics were given regarding the "new information" that pushed the Bruins to reverse course. There has been no direct comment from Miller nor his representatives in response to his release.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Saturday that Mitchell Miller isn't eligible to play in the league despite signing an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on Friday.

Bettman said the league wasn't consulted before Miller's signing was announced, something he's since discussed with Bruins president Cam Neely, and noted the NHL would have to conduct a full investigation into a previous assault conviction against Miller if the team wanted to promote him from the minor leagues:

#NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the recent signing of Mitchell Miller by the Boston Bruins. pic.twitter.com/9lOeNSEK5T

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) November 5, 2022

The commissioner added Miller's ability to play with the Providence Bruins, the club's top affiliate, rests in the hands of the American Hockey League.

Miller was a fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020 draft. The Coyotes renounced his rights in October 2020 after the Arizona Republic reported details from a 2016 conviction of assaulting and bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities in Ohio as a juvenile.

On Saturday, the AHL released a statement to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic saying Miller's eligibility is under review by league president Scott Howson.

Both Miller and Neely described the situation as a one-off incident when the 20-year-old defenseman was 14 years old in statements released in coordination with the signing, which contrasts comments by Isaiah Meyer-Crothers and his mother, Joni Meyer-Crothers.

"When I was in eighth grade, I made an extremely poor decision and acted very immaturely," Miller said. "I bullied one of my classmates. I deeply regret the incident and have apologized to the individual. Since the incident, I have come to better understand the far-reaching consequences of my actions that I failed to recognize and understand nearly seven years ago. I strive to be a better person and positively contribute to society. As a member of the Bruins organization, I will continue to participate in community programs to both educate myself and share my mistakes with others to show what a negative impact those actions can have on others. To be clear, what I did when I was 14 years old was wrong and unacceptable. There is no place in this world for being disrespectful to others and I pledge to use this opportunity to speak out against mistreating others."

Neely said the organization spent time with Miller in an attempt to better understand the situation before deciding to move forward with the signing.

"Representing the Boston Bruins is a privilege we take seriously as an organization," Neely said. "Respect and integrity are foundational character traits we expect of our players and staff. Prior to signing Mitchell, our Hockey Operations and Community Relations groups spent time with him over the last few weeks to better understand who he is as an individual and learn more about a significant mistake he made when he was in middle school. During this evaluation period, Mitchell was accountable for his unacceptable behavior and demonstrated his commitment to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others. The expectation is that he will continue this important educational work with personal development and community programs as a member of the Bruins organization."

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the franchise didn't reach out to the victim's family as part of its process, though.

Meyer-Crothers previously described a pattern of assault, bullying and the use of racist terms, including "brownie" and the N-word, by Miller while they were classmates, an account verified by other students, according to the Arizona Republic.

"He pretended to be my friend and made me do things I didn't want to do," Meyer-Crothers said. "In junior high, I got beat up by him. ... Everyone thinks he's so cool that he gets to go to the NHL, but I don't see how someone can be cool when you pick on someone and bully someone your entire life."

In one instance, Miller and another student allegedly wiped a piece of candy on a urinal before tricking Meyer-Crothers into licking it.

The student's mother said the apology referenced by Miller in his statement came via Snapchat and he suggested it wasn't motivated by hockey, per NBC10's Malcolm Johnson and Marc Fortier.

"Well, it has everything to do with hockey," she said.

Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Miller's actions go "against what we are as a culture and as a team:"

"I was on the fence."@FriedgeHNIC sat down with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and asked him about the team's signing of renounced Coyotes draft pick, Mitchell Miller. pic.twitter.com/3fUHWDJWkc

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 5, 2022

Boston forward Nick Foligno added members of the team were caught off guard by the signing.

"I don't think any guy was too happy," Foligno said Saturday.

The Bruins' next game is scheduled for Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Boston Bruins have signed Mitchell Miller two years after the Arizona Coyotes renounced his draft rights as a result of his history of bullying and racism as a juvenile was brought to light.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced Friday that Miller has signed an entry-level contract with the team

Boston president Cam Neely said in the announcement Miller had an evaluation period with the team's hockey operations and community operations departments in which he was "accountable for his unacceptable behavior and demonstrated his commitment to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others."

Miller was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft by the Coyotes.

Three weeks after the draft, Craig Harris and José M. Romero of the Arizona Republic published a story about Miller in which he admitted in Ohio juvenile court to bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities as a high schooler in 2016.

Miller and a classmate were charged with assault and violating the Ohio Safe Schools Act after being accused of making Isaiah Meyer-Crothers eat a piece of candy they wiped in a bathroom urinal.

Speaking to Harris and Romero over the phone, Meyers-Crothers said Miller also called him "brownie" and the "N-word" and hit him.

In a police report obtained by Harris and Romero, some accounts of the incident said Miller and the classmate urinated on the candy before giving it to Meyer-Crothers. Other students at the school confirmed to police Miller used the N-word referring to Meyer-Crothers.

Miller and the other boy involved were sentenced to complete 25 hours of community service, write an apology through the court system to Meyer-Crothers, participate in counseling and pay court costs.

"He pretended to be my friend and made me do things I didn't want to do," Meyer-Crothers told Harris and Romero. "In junior high, I got beat up by him. … Everyone thinks he's so cool that he gets to go to the NHL, but I don't see how someone can be cool when you pick on someone and bully someone your entire life."

Joni Meyer-Crothers, Isaiah's mother, told Harris and Romero that Miller has never personally apologized to her son outside of the court-mandated letter.

Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez announced they renounced Miller's rights on Oct. 29, 2020.

Miller, 20, has spent the past two seasons playing for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League.

After rumors about a potential sale, the Ottawa Senators have officially been put on the market.

Senators Sports & Entertainment released a statement on Friday announcing the NHL franchise is for sale, with the condition that a sale requires the franchise to remain in Ottawa.

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico reported earlier this week that Senators ownership retained Galatioto Sports Partners to initiate a sale.

Per Ian Mendes of The Athletic, there are "multiple" groups that have shown a willingness to purchase the franchise to keep them in Ottawa.

Mendes also noted potential buyers are "extremely interested in the prospect of a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats."

The Senators reached an agreement with the National Capital Commission and a group of partners in June for a plot of land in LeBreton Flats with the hope of building a new arena.

Anthony LeBlanc, Senators president of business operations, told reporters in September the franchise hopes to follow the blueprint set by the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.

"They’ve done a remarkable job on a small square footage area, which is going to be our challenge," LeBlanc said of the Seattle arena. "It’s a tight site. I wish we had the 27 acres they have in Edmonton, but we don’t. Rogers Arena blew me away by their sheer size. Seattle was a much tighter bowl, which is what we’re leaning towards."

Eugene Melnyk, who died in March at the age of 62, originally purchased the Senators and their arena in August 2003. The franchise is currently owned by his estate.

Ottawa was awarded an NHL franchise in December 1990, with the 1992-93 campaign being its inaugural season.

During Melnyk's ownership tenure, the Senators made the playoffs nine times and won one division title. The franchise's only Stanley Cup Final appearance came during the 2006-07 season.

If you're enjoying Welcome to Wrexham, then perhaps you'll enjoy Welcome to Ottawa.

People's Ryan Parker reported Wednesday that actor Ryan Reynolds "is very interested in buying the Ottawa Senators should the NHL team ultimately be sold."

A representative for Reynolds declined to comment when asked by Parker about the story.

The 46-year-old didn't dismiss the idea when a Senators fan pleaded with him to buy the team:

🤔

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 1, 2022

Reynolds has already partnered with fellow actor Rob McElhenney to purchase Wrexham AFC, which competes in the English National League. They have turned their and the club's journey into an ongoing documentary series.

Sportico's Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams reported Tuesday the Senators' ownership regime is exploring a possible sale. Longtime owner Eugene Melnyk, who bought the franchise in 2003, died in March.

As much as Reynolds might like the idea of joining a potential ownership group, there's obviously a difference between investing £2 million to buy a Welsh soccer club and making a run at an NHL franchise. Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico valued the Senators at $655 million.

Reynolds might have to star in a lot more Deadpool sequels to make this happen.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The first and last question asked after any sports trade is “Who won the deal?”

Nov. 4 will be the one-year anniversary of when the Buffalo Sabres traded Jack Eichel and a conditional third-round pick in 2023 to the Vegas Golden Knights for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick (Noah Östlund), and a 2023 second-round pick. Both teams have to feel good about the returns so far.

Eichel has put up 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 10 games this season. Meanwhile, the Sabres should be thrilled with the haul of young players and picks they received.

That the Sabres can claim success after giving up the best player in the trade shows how well they did. Being handed the reins of a team whose best player wants out isn't ideal, but first-time general manager Kevyn Adams saw it as an opportunity for a fresh start.

"The day that trade was made, 100 percent of my attention and focus was on who we got in the trade and what we need to do here to be better," Adams said. "The reality is, you have to have players that believe in what you're doing as an organization and truly want to be part of it. And those two players in particular [Tuch and Krebs]—and I'll say Noah Östlund because now that we've drafted him—they fit that. And that, to me, was a really important part of this."

For Buffalo, it meant cutting the final ties to an era that began with losing for the purpose to improve lottery chances and jump-start a return to glory with elite talent. Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen were already gone. Moving Eichel to Sin City meant virtually every major tie to the pre-Adams regimes was cut.

The Sabres were no longer putting the hopes of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2011—and the dreams of winning the Stanley Cup—all on the back of one player. Eichel was a dynamo capable of swinging a game by himself.

That approach didn’t work for the Sabres, though, because they lacked depth all over the roster. Instead, they decided to try assembling a more complete team, and Tuch gave them the spark they needed in the face of extreme change.

Tuch is a power forward the likes of which the Sabres haven’t had in ages. Nothing excites a Buffalo crowd more than a guy who can crunch opponents along the boards and fill the net.

"Something that he brings that's a little different is just as his size and his strength," teammate Tage Thompson said. "He's a beast out there, and combined with his speed, I think it catches a lot of people by surprise. They think they’ve got a lot more time with the puck and then he's right on you, which is good for us because we get the puck back quicker and then we get to go play offense."

In 50 games with the Sabres last season, Tuch had 12 goals and 38 points. He's off to a hot start this season, as he's tied with Thompson, Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Dahlin for the team lead in goals with six. He’s third on the team in points with nine, behind Thompson and Dahlin (12).

That’s the kind of impact the Sabres hoped he would provide with more ice time and opportunities than he had in Vegas.

"(Tuch) is clearly a player that other guys identify within the locker room as already a great, elite talent in the NHL, and the potential to be extremely impactful where we envision he can get to, that's clear and evident," Sabres head coach Don Granato said. "It's nice to have another player that comes in with that talent and that experience and still feels like a young guy. That's a great combination of everything."

In Vegas, Tuch was a young player in a sea of outstanding skilled veterans. The move to Buffalo turned him into one of the Sabres' most experienced veteran players at age 26.

"I was the youngest guy on the team (in Vegas), or at least when it came to games played, so I was pretty much a rookie for three years," Tuch said. "Now, it's crazy to be in the upper echelon in age on a team and you have all these younger guys below you."

Fans took to Tuch’s on-ice leadership immediately, and his teammates were right there with them. What’s more, neither Adams nor Granato asked him to adjust his affable, gregarious and fun-loving nature to act more like a leader.

It turns out that having him be himself is the exact kind of leader they needed. How he carries himself is infectious.

"He's a great guy," Thompson said. "He's always in a good mood, so whether you're having a good or a bad day coming to the rink, he's always buzzing around. So it's good for the atmosphere in the room, and I think that translates onto the ice as well."

The addition of Krebs provided Buffalo with another offensively gifted player. Not since 2006 have the Sabres had so many young, skilled players, each of whom has distinct talents.

The 21-year-old Krebs' passing and vision is what allows him to stand out among the snipers, danglers and net crashers.

"That's a guy that no matter where I put him, on wing or at center, anybody and everybody's excited that he's on his line," Granato said. "They just believe that he can get them the puck, that he's going to make plays. And he's a fun guy to play with because he's creative."

Buffalo's lack of secondary scoring behind Eichel was glaring whenever he didn't produce. If he had an off night, the Sabres were virtually doomed to lose.

That’s no longer a problem. They can spread the wealth among a few lines.

"One of the things that we spent a lot of time working on was, how do we make sure any deal we make is looking at the long term, not doing something reactionary, or with a short-term focus," Adams said. "That's why it was so critical for us in that deal with Alex that he's in the prime of his career and he had term on his contract. You get Peyton, who's in his first year of an entry-level [contract] that we think is going to be a really good player for us, and he has been, and he will continue to get better."

Minding the here and now as well as down the road is the key point of what it means to be an NHL general manager. The Sabres as previously constructed weren’t in position to immediately challenge for the Stanley Cup.

Right now, things are trending up. The Sabres are 6-3-0 with 12 points through nine games. It took them 11 games to reach 12 points last season.

They're taking baby steps, but with huge leaps in progress for their most important players.

"It's exciting to be part of something that's getting better every day," Krebs said. "It's been a lot of fun, and I'm excited to see where we go from here."

The NHL announced Saturday following an investigation that it has found no evidence to substantiate the anonymous sexual abuse and grooming allegations against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole.

The NHL said in a press release:

"The investigation included two separate interviews with Mr. Cole as well as interviews with NHL club personnel and other individuals with potentially relevant information. Further, the investigation included a detailed review of on-line and social media, public data, and court records and law enforcement checks. In addition, despite attempts by the League to make contact with the anonymous source of the social media post, those efforts were unsuccessful.

"On the basis of the foregoing, the National Hockey League now considers this matter closed."

The NHL Players' Association also released a statement following the league's investigation:

The NHLPA has issued a statement regarding the NHL's recent investigation. pic.twitter.com/Ee3eOWNGmD

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) October 15, 2022

The Lightning announced Oct. 9 that they had suspended Cole, pending the results of an investigation, following the allegations against him. The veteran defenseman has since been reinstated, per The Athletic's Joe Smith.

Cole also released a statement on Oct. 9 denying the allegations, adding that he was looking "forward to clearing my name and demonstrating to the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning that these allegations are unfounded."

On Oct. 7, an anonymous woman accused Cole of grooming and sexually abusing her over a four-year stretch that began while she was a minor in high school.

The woman accused Cole of pressuring her into having sex with him, adding that he knew she was still a minor at the time. In addition, she alleged Cole was having sexual relations with other high school-aged teenagers.

In addition, the woman alleged that Cole would "frequently pressure me to do things without consent" and that he manipulated and humiliated her and would frequently make misogynistic, derogatory comments toward her.

"Ian felt emboldened to emotionally and sexually abuse me and other women because the NHL fosters a culture of misogyny," the woman said in her statement. "The NHL needs to hold themselves and their players accountable for creating an enabling environment of misogynistic and predatory behavior."

Cole, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Lightning in July, missed the team's first two games of the season against the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. It's unclear if he will suit up for the team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

The St. Louis Blues selected the 33-year-old in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft. He made his NHL debut in 2010 and has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild over his 12-year career.