Some NHL teams opt out of Pride jerseys, reaffirm "support for the LGBTQIA+ community"
· Mar 23, 2023 · NottheBee.com

Multiple National Hockey League (NHL) teams have been opting out of wearing "Pride Night" jerseys, including the Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers, The Blaze reports.

The report comes amid the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" initiative as well as announcements from Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers and James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks that they will not wear "Pride Night" jerseys, citing their Christian beliefs.

Although the aforementioned teams opted out of wearing "Pride" jerseys, they each hosted "Pride Night" games and reaffirmed their support for the "LGBTQIA+ community" in some form.

The Wild issued a statement ahead of their second annual "Pride Night" that their "organization is proud to continue [their] support for the LGBTQIA+ community." Some players also put rainbow-colored tape on their sticks during warmup. The pre-game ceremony also featured a guest appearance from "Minnesota hockey icon" Jack Jablonski wearing a Pride-themed jersey, according to The Athletic.

Islanders captain Anders Lee said in February his team is " obviously very supportive of the LGBTQ+ community."

The Rangers' "Pride Night" in January included a pre-game ceremony with the American flag alongside the pride and transgender flags.

The Rangers had also announced before the game that it would wear "Pride" jerseys for warm-up. However, the team ended up wearing their standard uniforms instead.

"Our organization respects the LGBTQ+ community and we are proud to bring attention to important local community organizations as part of another great Pride Night," the Rangers said. "In keeping with our organization's core values, we support everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs."


Ready to join the conversation? Subscribe today.

Access comments and our fully-featured social platform.

Sign up Now
App screenshot