Reaves: I'd 'probably not' visit White House if invited

Warning: Story contains coarse language.

If it were up to Ryan Reaves, he'd be inclined to forgo a trip to the White House if invited.

It's a moot point this fall, as the Pittsburgh Penguins forward won't be attending with teammates on Oct. 10 because he was a member of the St. Louis Blues last season, but Reaves says he likely wouldn't go if he was invited.

"Probably not, no," he told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday.

Reaves elaborated on his rationale when asked.

"I don't know. I just wouldn't," he said. "I don't agree with things. I don't agree with certain things that (President Donald Trump) stands for or (things) he says."

The winger said he understands it's a collective decision, but made it clear he supports the First Amendment.

"I think it's important to make a decision as a team," he said. "Whatever we decide, we decide. The whole country is built on freedom of speech. Everybody should have that freedom. That's where I stand on it."

Reaves wasn't sure how - or whether - he would protest.

"Obviously, a lot of people think there's a need for change and there's a need to show that there's a need for change," he said. "There's definitely different ways of doing that. I don't know what the best way is. I haven't really gotten that far."

The president ignited widespread displays of unity in the NFL last weekend after he said the league should "get that son of a bitch off the field," in reference to players protesting police brutality and racial injustice by kneeling or sitting during the national anthem.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins said in a statement Sunday that they plan to visit the White House out of "respect (for) the institution of the Office of the President," claiming criticism of Trump's agenda can be "expressed in other ways," and insisting they respect the rights of others to express themselves as they see fit.

Sidney Crosby supported the decision, telling The Associated Press that "it's a great honor for us to be invited there."

Reaves, who is of African-Canadian descent, is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

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