When Bruins' Tim Thomas skipped White House visit to meet President Obama, stated "government has grown out of control"

Former Boston Bruins former Tim Thomas made headlines in 2012 when he declined an invitation to visit the White House with his Stanley Cup-winning team. He explained that the "Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People."

Thomas, a noted Republican, skipped the visit as a personal statement against President Barack Obama's politics.

While it is Thomas' right to refuse an invitation from a President he disagrees with, many criticized his decision as petty and detracting from the team's honor. Team president Cam Neely hinted that the decision was based on Thomas's political beliefs. Thomas himself released a statement on Facebook reaffirming his stance.

Some critics argued that Thomas missed an opportunity to publicly share his views beyond the Tea Party slogan on his goalie mask. Others raised concerns about the impact of his decision on his teammates, who were left to answer questions about his absence until his statement was released.

Despite the controversy surrounding Thomas's decision, President Obama personally recognized his accomplishments during the White House visit. He noted Thomas' record-breaking numbers in the playoffs and his status as the second American-born player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP.

Tim Thomas and his hockey achievements

Tim Thomas is a former professional hockey goaltender who played nine seasons in the NHL from 2002-2014. He played college hockey for the University of Vermont, where he set several records and was a two-time All-ECAC Conference selection and a two-time NCAA East All-American.

Thomas enjoyed stints in the AHL, ECHL and Finland before making his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins during the 2002-03 season. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Thomas played for Jokerit in the SM-Liiga and had a standout season. He posted a league-high .946 save percentage and won multiple awards.

He returned to North America in 2005 and signed with the Boston Bruins, where he served as a backup before taking over duties as the starting goaltender.

Tim Thomas played with the Bruins for eight seasons. During his tenure in Boston, he won two Vezina Trophies as the league's top goaltender and a Stanley Cup in 2011. Thomas also split time between the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars during the 2013-14 season before retiring from professional hockey.

He is considered one of the best goaltenders in Bruins history and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.