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P.K. Subban, Predators won’t protest during national anthem

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in Game Six of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Bridgestone Arena on June 11, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bruce Bennett

Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski reports that, while at a Nashville-area comedy club on Tuesday, P.K. Subban said that he would “never” protest the national anthem. Two patrons described Subban’s comments to Wyshynski.

This squares away with the Nashville Predators’ stance as a whole, as they confirmed to The Tennessean’s Adam Vignan.

Wyshynski’s article is worth your time if you want to explore this issue, as he discusses the criticism Sidney Crosby received alongside the Pittsburgh Penguins regarding their upcoming White House visit, and how that might relate to Subban.

It also goes into how Subban, despite his prominent place as an All-Star black NHL player, told ESPN that he doesn’t “want to be defined as a black hockey player.”

Subban seems to lean more toward Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo, who said that he supports a person’s right to protest but doesn’t plan on kneeling himself. So far, San Jose Sharks winger Joel Ward continues to stand out as someone who is at least considering the decision not to stand during the anthem.

Auston Matthews, Blake Wheeler, and other players also weighed in on the issue. Their takes differed, but were generally very diplomatic.

With the 2017-18 season primed to begin in one week, there will be plenty of speculation regarding who might or might not kneel during anthems, and one would expect other interesting reactions.

In the case of Subban and the Predators, it looks like they’ll choose to stand.

Update: Wayne Simmonds may kneel along with Ward:

More on this issue

Penguins make controversial decision to accept White House invitation.

Donald Trump tweets about their visit.

Auston Matthews and others on the subject.

Ho-Sang, Okposo also weigh in.