Unwelcome Spotlight Falls on NHL Team Pride Night Events

The ice is lit in rainbow light for Pride Night before an NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles on April 26, 2021. Ashley Landis/AP Photo

Pride nights, held annually for several years by National Hockey League teams to show support for the LGBT community, are in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents this season.

A handful of players have objected to participating in pregame warmups that included Pride-themed jerseys, most recently Florida’s Eric and Marc Staal on Thursday night. On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks decided against having players wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys for their upcoming Pride night, citing an anti-gay law in Russia.

What Are the Objections?

The Staal brothers and San Jose’s James Reimer—who are Canadian—and Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov, who is Russian, all pointed to their religious beliefs for refusing to take part in warmups.