Reading Braden Holtby’s statement on racism Wednesday morning makes me wonder exactly what he’ll say once he finds the words. The Washington Capitals goalie and Stanley Cup champion prefaced his statement on social media Wednesday by saying, “I couldn’t find the words to say. And I still haven’t.” Then he went on to craft the most powerful statement on the George Floyd killing and racism than we’ve seen from any other NHL player or organization.
On the same day that Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby joined a rapidly growing number of NHL players by making a statement through his charitable foundation, Holtby talked about the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which is not far from where he lives in Virginia, a bridge that spans the Potomac River into Prince George’s County in Maryland, a county that is more than 60% Black and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the United States.