Former Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas may be taking a year off from the NHL but that doesn't mean that he's keeping quiet. The outspoken MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals has inserted himself into the contentious debate surrounding Chick-fil-A's public stance against gay marriage.
From Thomas' Facebook page:
I stand with Chick-fil-A.
Chick-fil-A is privately owned by the Cathy family. The company president, Dan Cathy, drew the wrath of gay rights advocates and supporters when he made recent statements that some have alleged are anti-gay.
Cathy told Baptist Press that the company was unapologetically in favor of traditional marriage.
“Guilty as charged,” he said. “We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”
In a separate interview on the Ken Coleman Show — Cathy suggested that the nation could face God’s wrath over the redefinition of marriage.
“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” Cathy said. “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.”
A two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top netmninder, Thomas has never been shy about sharing his beliefs and political views, famously passing on President Obama's White House invitation after his Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup. At the time, Thomas classified himself as a Free Citizen in another Facebook message, explaining his decision by writing "I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People." Thomas has previously donated to Tea Party group FreedomWorks according to Breitbart.com.
Although Thomas has taken leave from the Bruins, his latest outburst has already gotten back to the Boston locker room. Per WEEI.com, one anonymous Bruin commented only by saying that he doesn't have to address the comments because Thomas isn't his teammate at this time.
Although Thomas' voice may be loud, he is not the only NHL player speaking publicly on gay marriage. Last year, former New York Rangers player Sean Avery publicly expressed his support of gay marriage when he lobbied for a bill to legalize marriage equality in New York. In addition, Thomas' former teammates Shawn Thornton and Zdeno Chara have backed the "You Can Play Project" to help eliminate homophobia in all levels of hockey.