Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown recently sent a message to both his former team and their fans regarding his time here in the Bolts Nation.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has bid farewell to one of their veteran players. On January 13, the Lightning placed forward J.T. Brown on waivers. This opened the door for the other 30 teams in the NHL to stake their claim on the young forward. One team, in particular, elected to answer the call and claim Brown for themselves.
The following day, Brown was claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks, sending Brown all the way over to the Pacific Division, a part of the Western Conference. Unfortunately, this means Lightning fans will only get to see Brown once or twice per season.
J.T. Brown has had his moments, much like any other professional athlete, where he has had his name in the news for the wrong reasons. However, for the most part, Brown has been a standup guy and has really dug his heels in deep and become involved in his community.
Tampa Bay Lightning
In the second game of the season, Brown was one of the only players in the National Hockey League to show any form of protest during the playing of the National Anthem. He received plenty of criticism for his actions from those who believed the protest was disrespectful, but Brown stood behind his actions and his beliefs.
Since then, Brown has become deeply involved with the Tampa Police Department. He has participated in training sessions, gone on a ride along with officers, and sat down with those in power to have serious discussions on how everyone could work together to make the Tampa Bay area a better and safer place.
After the news of his new home made its way around the Bolts Nation, J.T. Brown was quick to send a message to his former team, the Lightning organization as a whole, and the fans who have supported him along the way.
— JT Brown (@JTBrown23) January 14, 2018
Before looking forward to the next chapter of his career with the Anaheim Ducks, Brown left everyone with one final message.
"“Finally, this is an incredible community and one I feel lucky to have been a part of. Thank you, Tampa Bay!”"
Say what you will about his performance on the ice, but his contributions to his community off the ice and the way he has always carried himself have definitely shown through. He has never been afraid to stand up for his beliefs and has always stood strong in the shade of adversity.
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Once again, we here at Bolts By The Bay would like to wish J.T. Brown, his wife Lexi, and their baby daughter Lily, the best of luck in Anaheim. Hopefully, their transition to the West Coast will be an easy one.