"Day 5 of the Tim Thomas controversy rolled on here at All-Star weekend as the players met the press at the Ottawa Westin, and it's clear the Bruins goalie is ready for the whole brouhaha to go away.

"I think it should. Why? Because it's all media-driven right now, and it has been from the start," Thomas said yesterday. "Everything I said and did was as an individual and not as a representative of the Boston Bruins. All it has to do with is me. It's separate from hockey. That's my personal life. Those are my personal views. Those are my personal beliefs, It has nothing to do with hockey. It has nothing to do with the All-Star Game. It has nothing to do with the Boston Bruins."

Thomas decided to skip the Bruins' trip to the White House on Monday that was designed to honor the Stanley Cup champions. Later in the day, he released a statement on his Facebook page blasting the federal government, calling it "out of control, threatening the Life, Liberty and Property of the People.""