WASHINGTON, D.C.The Bruins got a private tour of the White House and were honored by President Barack Obama on Monday afternoon in an impressive ceremony, but one Bruins player wasnt present.
One of only three US players on the Bs Cup-winning team, Tim Thomas opted to skip the White House ceremonies for personal reasons, of which he stated on his Facebook page Monday night:
"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. 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. This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT"
Thomas is a staunch Republican and actually mentioned Glenn Beck as the person hed most like to have dinner with in the Bruins 2011-12 Media Guide.
Earlier Monday, Bruins President Cam Neely said he would have liked his All-Star goaltender to have attended the function with the rest of his Black and Gold teammates.
Everybody has their own opinions and political beliefs. He chose not to join us, said Neely. We certainly would have liked to have him come and join us. But its his choice. Its obviously not a choice most of the guys . . . well all of the guys came except for Tim. But its his decision and his choice.
Tomas Kaberle, Shane Hnidy and Mark Recchi also attended the celebration to honor last years Cup team, but Michael Ryder wasnt able to make the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts with the Dallas Stars.