Dear Mr. Thomas.
You don't know me. You will never know me, but until yesterday I was one of your proud supporters. I'm a hockey fan and have been for twenty years. My love of the game is deep. I love the traditions and the rivalries. I love power forwards and invincible goalies. You held a spot on the list with Luongo, Broudeur and Lundqvist as goalies of other teams that I admired.
The smile on your face when you were selected to the Olympic team and the gleam in your eye when you won the Silver medal in Vancouver said more than the sorrow of some of your team mates because they didn't get the Gold. I was rooting for you to win the Vezina. When you got to lift the Stanley Cup I was thrilled; for you and for the whole team.
But yesterday that changed.
Yesterday, instead of celebrating with your team at the White House you chose not to go. That's fine. That's your right as a private citizen. What you chose to do next is unfathomable. Instead of simply saying you weren't able to attend due to personal matters or one of the many other white washed excuses used in similar situations, you issued a short statement to the press. Your commentary and opinions are yours and you're free to have them. Whether I agree with them or not, one of the blessings of this country is the ability to hold to your beliefs.
The problem Mr. Thomas is that while you may be a Private Citizen of this country, you are also a Public Figure. You are the face of Boston Bruins hockey. You are the 2011 Stanley Cup winning goal tender. You are a member of a team of professionals who worked very hard for a season and a half to achieve something some of the greatest players in the game have never done. You are part of something much bigger than yourself.
But somehow you forgot that. Somehow you decided that it was ok for you to put yourself first. You decided that instead of celebrating with your team in a traditional setting, you would publicly announce to the world that you wouldn't attend because you have a political difference of opinion with the administration. How dare you. How dare you disrespect your teammates. How dare you disrespect your fans. How dare you disrespect the Stanley Cup and the legacy associated with it.
You could have avoided this entire situation. The incredible accomplishment of your team and the celebration at the White House was dramatically over shadowed by your actions. What should have been another moment of glory for the team turned into a side show. What were you thinking?
As a fan of the game of hockey I was insulted. I can't begin to imagine how your current teammates reacted. How will you walk into the locker room knowing that you put yourself above everyone else in the room? If you aren't with the team in one of their finest moments, how can they trust that you'll be with them when it's all on the line. You may be a tremendous goalie. Your name is on the Cup but your legacy is tarnished. You'll be remembered for what you've done, but there will always be an asterisk now, for what you didn't do.
Sincerely,
A Hockey Fan