Brown’s protest lauded by players
A day after Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown acknowledged he received death threats since becoming the first NHL player to protest during the national anthem, league players came to his defense Monday.
“The big thing is, we’ve got 25 different guys in here, everyone is going to have a different opinion, come from a different background and upbringing,” Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “Whether we agree or disagree with what (Brown) is doing, as a team we support him. We support (Brown) on and off the ice. Our biggest thing is we’ve got his back.”
Brown, scratched in the team’s first game, raised his right fist during the anthem before the road game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Brown, 27, is one of about 30 black players in the NHL. He did not speak to the media Monday.
Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly, who is black, reached out to Brown. Smith-Pelly said it was a “lonely” feeling for some black players.
“I’m proud of him, proud that he did that and proud that he stood up and put himself out there,” SmithPelly told the Times. “Because it’s tough. It’s tough anytime, but in this particular sport, it’s tough to put yourself out there.
“That’s makes what (Brown) did even more respectable. He’s all by himself.”
Brown explained on Twitter on Sunday that he wasn’t protesting “about the military or disrespecting the flag. It is about police brutality, racial injustice and inequality in this country.”
Brown also said he has “received racist remarks” since his protest.