NHL anthem protester says he's taking his protest to the next level.

While the American anthem protests made headlines nationally across many different sports, the National Hockey League was relatively untouched by the movement that swept across pro sports, with one notable exception.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown had a protest of his own design when he raised his fist during the national anthem in a sign of solidarity with those protesting in other sports, but now he says he's taking it to the next level.

Brown released a statement on social media where he said he would no longer be raising his fist during the anthem, but would instead be taking proactive steps to improve things in the local community. You can see his statement in full below:

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This most recent statement from Brown is much closer to the statement made by Nashville Predators star P.K. Subban, and it seems likely that Subban's decision, and the incredibly positive reaction it received, are what prompted this move from Brown and the Lightning.