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Tim Thomas, a former NHL controversial player, made his first public comment for several years on Wednesday after being named to the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
"Everyone probably knows that I do not have much to say, at least publicly," said Thomas, the Boston Bruins' former goaltender, who retired from the public life after his last season in the NHL in 2013-14. "I decided to keep what I was doing in my life for myself, probably forever."
Thomas's career has seen him move from being a companion to two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy and Stanley Cup champion. But a decision in 2012 to boycott the Bruins' visit to the White House turned him from a folk hockey hero into a lightning rod of political controversy.
Thomas had not spoken to reporters for several years and he repeated during a conference call on Wednesday that his privacy would remain private. As for hockey, Thomas told ESPN that the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in which the Bruins qualified for the final, marked the first time he had used the NHL on a regular basis.
"Personally, I have no relationship with the game," Thomas said. "My goal is to learn other things, I think I've learned as much as I can from hockey."
The University of Vermont has played in minor leagues for years. He debuted in the NHL as a 28-year-old rookie in 2002-03, not becoming a Boston regular before the 2005-06 season.
In 378 games with the Bruins, Thomas recorded a record of 196-121-45. He became one of the league's top goaltenders, winning the Vezina Trophy in 2009 and 2011. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable playoff player in 2011, leading the Bruins to Stanley Cup with an average of 1.98, a .940 efficiency percentage and a win on the road during the seventh game in Vancouver.
Thomas's public perception, however, changed after this championship when he chose not to accompany the team to meet President Barack Obama at the White House the following January.
Thomas, a supporter of the Tea Party, wrote on Facebook that "the federal government has become uncontrollable, threatening the rights, freedoms and property of the people" and that it for the situation in which we find ourselves as country. It was a choice I had to make as an individual. "
The move sparked public criticism from supporters and politicians, including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Senator Scott Brown. In the 2012 NHL all-star game, Thomas called the controversy "media".
"I would really appreciate that people are leaving my teammates and my family apart from that," said Thomas at the time.
He played for the last time in the 2013-14 NHL season at age 39, sharing 48 games between Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. After that, he moved away from the NHL. There was speculation that he could join his 2011 Bruins teammates at a meeting in May, but Thomas stayed away.
Could he consider a return to Boston at some point?
"It's a difficult question, because I've been nervous since I retired, I would not be able to handle the crowd, it's not as simple as it sounds," said Thomas. "It's no longer fun for me to travel in. It has nothing to do with the Boston Bruins or the Boston fans, they loved the bullshit of me when I was there . "
Thomas will travel to Washington DC in December to attend the US Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony. He will be inducted with Commissioner Gary Bettman, former NHL striker Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson, a figure of junior hockey in Washington, and US star Krissy Wendell at an event on December 12th.
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