NHL Teams Resist the Pride Night Jerseys

The left’s LGBTQ agenda is being pushed into professional sports for years, lately also in the National Hockey League (NHL), where Pride Nights are being celebrated as a welcoming gesture for the LGBTQ people. But not everyone in the NHL is on board the LGBTQ celebration train, and certain players, as well as teams, are openly refusing to celebrate the Pride Nights with LGBTQ-themed jerseys.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, a Russian, made news in January this year by refusing to wear an LGBT “pride” jersey for the pregame warmups, citing his Christian faith.

“My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion,” Provorov told reporters.

Across the political and cultural divide, Provorov was both praised and slammed for his refusal to participate in LGBTQ activism in the NHL. The left labeled him a “bigot” and a “homophobe,” while the right hailed him for his courage to stand up for his faith and not caving to the LGBTQ “cult.” 

When the NHL was asked for a comment, it stated that players were free to decide what initiatives to support, and Provorov was just being true to himself and his religion.

Some leftists were upset with this response and went on to bash NHL’s statement. Ian Kennedy of Yahoo Sports NHL complained that NHL’s statement “opens the door for hate.”

On March 18, James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks became the second player to refuse to wear the pride jerseys.  Like Provorov, Reimer cited his Christian faith as the reason for his refusal to wear the LGBTQ-themed jerseys.

Christian brothers Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers have become the latest addition to the growing list of players opting out of wearing pride jerseys, both choosing not to participate in the pregame skate Thursday night.

Not just individual players but quite a few teams have also declined the pride activism by wearing the LGBTQ jerseys, including the New York Rangers, the Minnesota Wild, the New York Islanders, and more.

The Chicago Blackhawks declined wearing pride jerseys citing an interesting reason: security concerns for Russian players. Canada’s CBC reported that the team’s decision springs from its concerns for Russian players in the NHL, who can be the potential victims of “an anti-gay Kremlin law that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home.”

Whether faith-based or other reasons, the growing number of players and teams declining participation in the leftist LGBTQ activism within the NHL is gaining momentum.

More conservative players not supportive of the left’s agenda are standing up for their beliefs and the right to express themselves.