Stanley Cup winner plans to skip White House visit, has harsh words for Trump
The NHL, for the most part, has managed to avoid the controversies over the national anthem and White House visits that have entangled other sports in the Trump era.
Unfortunately, the league is not entirely immune.
The Washington Capitals won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history Thursday night, but while players and fans were celebrating, one member of the team brought politics to the party.
Caps forward Devante Smith-Pelly told Canada’s National Post that he doesn’t plan to visit the White House as long as Donald Trump is president.
“The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist,” Smith-Pelly said. “Some of the things he’s said are pretty gross. I’m not too into politics, so I don’t know all his other views, but his rhetoric I definitely don’t agree with.
“It hasn’t come up here, but I think I already have my mind made up.”
It’s not the first time the Toronto native has spoken out about issues in the United States. Smith-Pelly weighed in on the national anthem protests last year.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown raised his fist before a game in October 2017 to “show my support for the root of the protest, talking about police brutality and inequality.” He is the only NHL player to protest the anthem.
Smith-Pelly said he respected Brown’s actions.
“I’m proud of him, proud that he did that and proud that he stood up and put himself out there,” the Caps forward told the Tampa Bay Times. “Because it’s tough. It’s tough anytime, but in this particular sport, it’s tough to put yourself out there. It’s a lonely feeling, even without doing a protest. So that he stood out and put himself out there, I respect it a lot.”
He said he could relate to Brown because they are two of the few black players in the NHL.
“You look around the room, it’s only me,” Smith-Pelly said. “Not many people that look like me. It’s just the way it is right now. Not to say that people on the team, guys in this room don’t think it’s the right thing to do, but it’s tough when I can’t look over and the guy beside me knows exactly what’s going on, exactly how I feel.”
After a couple of weeks, Brown, now with Anaheim, announced he was ending his protests and instead would focus on working on those issues with local police officers and community groups.
Here’s what’s next. pic.twitter.com/IoXeUkacUZ
— JT Brown (@JTBrown23) October 18, 2017
Smith-Pelly won’t be the first NHL player to skip the traditional White House champions visit. After the Boston Bruins won the Cup in 2011, star goalie Tim Thomas announced he wouldn’t be visiting President Barack Obama in the White House.
“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People,” Thomas explained in a Facebook post. “This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
“Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.”
There was little political controversy last year when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. They announced they would accept an invitation to visit Trump White House because they “respect the institution of the Office of the President.”
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