Bruins Tim Thomas Skips Ceremony With President Obama

The Boston Bruins went to the White House to meet President Obama and celebrate their 2011 Stanley Cup championship yesterday— shorthanded.

Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas snubbed the meet-and-greet with Obama and later issued a statement on his Facebook page citing his reasons for snubbing the President of the United States at the traditional ceremony.


"I believe the federal government ha grown out of control," he stated, "threatening the rights, liberties, and property of the people."

Call it Unoccupy White House.

The Internet lit up with polarized opinions about Thomas' political views and defiant stance at the expense of the entire team.

The Bruins president, Cam Neely, tried to distance the team from Thomas without alienating the playoff MVP.

"We are disappointed that Tim chose not to join us and his views certainly do not reflect those of the Jacobs family or the Bruins organization," said Neely.

Thomas— born in Flint, Mich. and an outspoken Tea Party member— said he blames both political parties for the nation's woes and had been at odds with the Bruins about attending the fete for a while.

"The Federal government has grown out of control threatening the Rights, Liberties and Property of the People," for that reason he stated, "I exercised my right as a free citizen.  This is not about politics or party, as in my opinion, both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country."

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said he had been trying for months to convince Thomas to attend with the rest of the team, but that it still didn't happen.

Even though the event was an honor for the entire team, a lot of the attention was centered on Thomas.

President Obama didn't seem miffed by the slight and even singled out the absent Thomas to congratulate the goalie on his playoff exploits.

"Tim Thomas posted two shutouts in the Stanley Cup Finals," he said.  "He set an all-time record for saves in postseason."

Thomas is only the second U.S. player to win the playoff MVP.

Yesterday was the Boston Bruins turn to bask in the national spotlight for what they accomplished as a team and Thomas took the opportunity to turn it into a personal political statement.

Call him disrespectful, unprofessional, selfish or just plain honest, Thomas got his point across— no matter who he disappointed or pleased in his wake.

It's his right as a citizen in this country to voice his opinion— whether it be declining an invitation to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or camping out and banging drums in a city park.

Olivia Munn Is New York Rangers Good Luck Charm

A New York Ranger dating a model or actress is nothing new in the city, but center Brad Richards might have just landed himself a keeper in Olivia Munn.  At least Rangers fans hope so.

Munn has been linked to Richards since November and since then has been a regular in the stands while the team has gone on a torrid hot streak.  They now find themselves at first place in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

The pretty Maxim model and actress was spotted at Madison Square Garden again during Monday night's 3-0 win against the Islanders.  Following the game, she was seen being high-fived and thanked by Rangers fans in the stands, according to the New York Post.

Richards and Munn have been spotted getting cozy all over Manhattan and reportedly spent Christmas Eve together.

According to the Post, the couple go to trendy hot spots together and were seen "laughing a lot and very affectionate."

The victory against the Islanders was the Rangers (22-8-4) fifth straight and they have improved to 11-3-2 at home this season.  They remain one point ahead of the Boston Bruins.

Richards has 12 goals and 14 assists in 34 games this year.

For now at least Ranger fans can call Munn their lucky charm and be thankful she isn't a Kardashian.

Andrew Ference Proves The NHL Is For Goons and Geeks

Staying true to his word, Boston Bruins player Andrew Ference went "one up" on his teammates when it came to his day with the Stanley Cup.  That's if if you consider bringing the trophy into a group of people who gather for a pointless act, then disperse one upping.

 That's right, Lord Stanley has been flash mobbed for the first time and, hopefully, it will be the last time it participates in a "spontaneous" outbreak of dance.

In front of speakers blaring the strains of Queen's "We Are the Champions," the defenseman walked into a flash mob crowd in the North End of Boston carrying the Lord Stanley over his head.  Hundreds of hipsters and computer geeks filled the Hanover Street block and swarmed the happy hockey player.

The poor Cup, which gets to spend a day with each player on the winning team, has already been dropped,  filled with milk and breakfast cereal and who knows how many people sloppily slurped beer from its mouth so far this year.   But its most undignified moment must be this-- being the center of a geek-filled flash mob-- doing it for the dance.

Ference celebrated the Bruins 2011 Championship by parading through the hometown streets and later visited a local hospital with the trophy.

I can't wait for the player who "planks" the trophy for the first time.

Jurors in Casey Anthony Trial Will See Recording of Lightning-Bruins Playoff Game

The jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial found out this morning they will be allowed to watch a recorded tape of tonight's Game 7 Stanley Cup Playoff match-up between their home team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Boston Bruins.  The 12 jurors and five alternates broke out in applause when Judge Belvin Perry announced his decision regarding the big game.

The sequestered Clearwater, Florida jury, selected from the Tampa Bay area, was transported to Orlando after Judge Perry made arrangements for Friday's 8 p.m. EST game to be recorded and shown later to the jurors of the highly-publicized case.

This is the first Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals in five years and will be played at the TD Garden in Boston.

Anthony was charged with 1st degree murder after her 2 year-old daughter was found dead in 2008.  The polarizing trial has received a lot of national media attention.

The winner of tonight's Lightning-Bruins game will face the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks in five games.

The murder trial began Tuesday with opening statements after 11 days of jury selection.  The trial is expected to last about two months.

The finals series begin Wed. June 1 in Vancouver and a game seven would be played there on June 15.

Which means, if the Lightning win tonight, the jurors will probably continue seeing delayed tapes of the Lightning games throughout the Finals.