Matthews shows deft touch in stickhandling NFL protests
American-born Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has no thought of participating in a protest during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
But he was wrestling with the entire question along with many Leafs, who as pro athletes are being asked about their take on what NFL players did over the weekend in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements on anthem actions and White House visits.
The 20-year-old Matthews did not dispute athletes have the right to display their feelings, as NFLers did en masse, but he’s not ready to initiate or join in such actions should NHLers become the next group of pros to join the silent snub during anthems.
Matthews’s mother was born in Mexico and he likely has personal feelings with some of Trump’s policies, but he also holds dear his family’s military history.
“My great uncle served, I have friends and family who’ve served, there’s men and women who have risked their lives for the U.S., people who have died for the U.S.,” Matthews said Monday. “To me, I don’t know if kneeling, sitting, stretching is something I’d really look into doing because to me it’s like a dishonour to the men and women who fight for that flag, fight for the U.S.”
But he made it clear he wasn’t trying to shut down those with opposing views.
“Isn’t that one of the (constitutional) amendments, you have the right to say whatever you want? Some people have took this time to send a message, make a statement. It’s their opinion, they’re allowed to. You see it all the time (pro sports’ impact on life).”
New Leaf defenceman Ron Hainsey, who played for the Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins
last season and could be joining them at the White House after the club accepted Trump’s invite, was not commenting Monday.
Matthews has said there was too much going on in his hectic rookie season with changes of address and the like that he didn’t get the paperwork done to vote last November in his first presidential election. Fellow Americans Connor Carrick and James van Riemsdyk also didn’t get their absentee ballots in, which van Riemsdyk now regrets.
“I didn’t do a good enough job of being prepared, being in Canada during the election,” van Riemsdyk said. “Your role as a citizen is to vote, so I’m definitely disappointed in myself and it will be the last time that happens.”
Van Riemsdyk said he saw countryman Blake Wheeler’s tweet critical of Trump and thought the Winnipeg Jet “had a good point,” but says he’d find it hard not to accept an invitation to the White House should his team ever be extended one.
“The great thing about our country is that you have the right not to go if you don’t want to,” he said. “For me personally, no matter who is in that office and whether you agree or disagree, the honour of getting to go is pretty special, especially getting to share it with all your teammates. But I respect people might choose to do something different.”