Jets' Paul Stastny explains why he donated to 'freedom convoy' protests

Paul Stastny revealed Tuesday that he donated $1,000 to the convoy protesting against COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.

The Winnipeg Jets forward, son of Hall of Fame forward Peter Stastny, cited his father’s defection from the former Czechoslovakia to Canada as the central reason behind his donations to the convoy. Since retiring from the NHL, Peter has supported the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union Democratic Party, and has been a staunch critic of communist parties in Slovakia.

"Being the son of immigrants that left a communist country to come to Canada and have a future where they had their own decisions and do-what-they-want type of freedom is something that’s always been instilled in me," Stastny said to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press. "And then I know what Canada was like, and I can see where Canada is going, and I think that’s what scares me."

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Stastny was one of the several thousand people who donated to the protest efforts via crowdfunding sites, where it was listed that he donated $1,000 USD under a registered company, Walnuts LLC. The 36-year-old made payments through GoFundMe and GiveSendGo.

Although the protest was widely co-opted by far-right extremists and politicians, Stastny — who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — rejected the notion that his donation to the convoy protests is linked to right-wing politics.

"People think you’re just donating to a far-right movement, overthrowing the government. It has nothing to do with that. If that was the cause nobody would be donating money," Stastny said. "It’s more just the freedom to decide what you want to do to live and not have an overreach of a government that does too much because, eventually, the more that they can grab, the more they can get. And some people like that, but the way I grew up, the stories I heard from my parents growing up, it’s scary."

Despite Stastny’s self-perception of neutrality, he admitted to reading Rebel News — a far-right wing Canadian media outlet, known for its rampant Islamophobia — and listening to FOX News pundit Tucker Carlson, in the interest of learning “both sides” of the political spectrum.

"I think 95 per cent of the people are all in the same boat. They’re all centre-left, centre-right people. And you’re gonna have the far-left, the far-right, and that’s what the media tries to paint. That’s what, I think, you want people to realize is it’s not as bad as it seems all the time."

We’re not going to tell Stastny what to think, but he’s not exactly making the point he probably believes he is.

More from Yahoo Sports