Boston Bruins president Cam Neely called the signing of controversial prospect Mitchell Miller his “biggest regret” as an NHL executive.

“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.”

The Bruins signed Miller to an entry-level contract last Friday with the intention of sending him to the team’s AHL affiliate in Providence. However, the backlash against the signing was quick and intense, leading to the Bruins rescinding the offer Sunday night, “based on new information.”

Miller, 20, was a 2020 fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes. But his draft rights were relinquished after it came to light that Miller and a middle school classmate were convicted in 2016 in juvenile court of assaulting and bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities.

In Sunday’s statement, Neely said that prior to the signing, the Bruins believed that Miller’s treatment of his classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, was “an isolated incident” and that Miller “had taken meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing personal development.”

On Monday, Neely expressed concerns over the failure of his organization to properly vet Miller.

“I’m extremely upset that we have made a lot of people unhappy with our decision,” Neely said Monday. “I take a lot of pride in the Bruins organization and what we stand for, and we failed there.”

Neely said the Bruins will be reviewing their internal vetting process, and apologized to the victim and his family.

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

The initial signing received swift feedback from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who said on Saturday, “He’s not coming into the NHL, he’s not eligible at this point to come into the NHL. I can’t tell you that he’ll ever be eligible to come into the NHL.”

Backlash also came from coaches and players within the Bruins’ organization.

“The culture we built here goes against that type of behavior,” Bergeron told reporters on Saturday. “We’re a team built with character and character people. What he did is unacceptable, and we don’t stand by that. In this locker room, we are all about inclusion, diversity, respect. Those are key words and core values that we have.

“We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect.”

–Field Level Media

Dominik Kubalik scored a power-play goal with 2:17 remaining in overtime as the visiting Detroit Red Wings rallied for a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers Sunday night.

Detroit won its third straight when Kubalik waited at the right side of the net for a pass from David Perron and tipped in the puck past goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Officials briefly reviewed the play to see if the Red Wings were offsides and did not change the call, allowing Detroit to end its three-game road losing streak. Halak stopped 33 shots and is 0-3-1 as a Ranger.

Kubalik’s fifth game-winning goal occurred after Perron drew a holding the stick penalty near the neutral zone on New York defenseman K’Andre Miller with 3:16 left. The tally also came after Halak had denied him on a breakaway with 3:51 remaining in regulation.

Matt Luff and Pius Suter scored in the second period for Detroit, which also beat Washington and the New York Islanders before Sunday. Kaapo Kakko scored New York’s first goal and Mika Zibanejad tallied on the power play in the opening period, but the Rangers fell to 3-3-3 in their past nine games.

Maple Leafs 3, Hurricanes 1

John Tavares scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season 8:24 into the third period to lift Toronto past Carolina in Raleigh, N.C.

A pass from Mitchell Marner set up Tavares, who directed the puck into the net on Toronto’s first shot of the period. Calle Jarnkrok scored an earlier goal and William Nylander added a late goal for Toronto, which won for just the second time in seven road games (2-3-2). The Maple Leafs have a season-high three-game winning streak and stretched their points streak to four games.

The Hurricanes had a four-game winning streak snapped despite Stefan Noesen’s goal on a first-period power play. Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots.

Panthers 5, Ducks 3

Sam Reinhart snapped a third-period tie with his first goal of the season, then added an empty-netter, as visiting Florida beat Anaheim.

Meanwhile, ex-Duck Brandon Montour had a goal and assisted on Carter Verhaeghe’s fourth goal in three games in the first period, Sam Bennett’s goal with 11:50 left in the third and Reinhart’s empty-netter to complete the four-point night. Spencer Knight made 32 saves for the Panthers, who finished 2-2-0 on a Western road swing.

Ryan Strome posted a goal and assisted on Adam Henrique’s tally, while Isac Lundestrom converted a penalty shot with 1:14 remaining in regulation for a short-handed goal for Anaheim, which had won three of four. The Ducks entered allowing an NHL-high 478 shots on goal — and have yielded at least 44 in four straight games.

–Field Level Media

Sam Reinhart snapped a third-period tie with his first goal of the season, then added an empty-netter, as the visiting Florida Panthers won 5-3 over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.

After recording a career-high 33 goals last season, Reinhart needed 13 games for his first of 2022-23. Amid a net-front scrum, Reinhart got his stick on the puck and beat Anaheim’s John Gibson (43 saves) to break a 2-2 tie just 2:55 into the third.

Meanwhile, ex-Duck Brandon Montour had a goal and assisted on Carter Verhaeghe’s fourth goal in three games in the first period, Sam Bennett’s goal with 11:50 left in the third and Reinhart’s empty-netter to complete the four-point night. Spencer Knight made 32 saves for the Panthers, who finished 2-2-0 on a Western road swing.

Florida played without Matthew Tkachuk (team-high 17 points), who served the first of a two-game suspension for a high stick on Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick during Saturday’s 5-4 defeat.

Ryan Strome posted a goal and assisted on Adam Henrique’s tally, while Isac Lundestrom converted a penalty shot with 1:14 remaining in regulation for a short-handed goal for Anaheim, which had won three of four. The Ducks entered allowing an NHL-high 478 shots on goal — and have yielded at least 44 in four straight games.

The Panthers outshot the Ducks 17-11 during the first period. On the power play, Montour’s drive from just inside the blue line found the stick of Verhaeghe, who deflected the puck in with 8:29 left in the opening frame.

Montour got one of his own just 2:51 into the second period. After gaining possession of the puck in the Anaheim zone, he spun toward the blue line, then threw it toward the net, and past a seemingly unprepared Gibson.

However, the Ducks turned up their own pressure. Strome struck a shot that Henrique got enough of his stick on to redirect by Knight, eight minutes into the second. Some 27 seconds later, Strome corralled the puck amid traffic, and converted into an open portion of the net to tie the contest.

Florida has won five straight over Anaheim.

–Field Level Media