News/Commentary

NHL walks back ‘woke’ politics, no more ‘Pride’ jerseys going forward

June 23, 2023 | | Print Article

The NHL has evidently had an epiphany of sorts, banning “Pride” themed jerseys going forward, with Commissioner Gary Bettman asserting that themed jerseys will no longer be worn on the ice, but themed nights will stay in place.

(Video Credit: Christian Nationalism)

The NHL, a number of hockey teams, and players were the recipients of harsh blowback criticizing the decision not to wear LGBTQ-themed jerseys during warm-ups on Pride Nights.

“Well actually, I’ve suggested that it would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys in warm-ups because it’s become a distraction and taking away from the fact that all of our clubs in some form or another host nights in honor of various groups or causes, and we’d rather them continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction,” Bettman told SportsNet at the NHL Board of Governors meeting that took place on Thursday after being asked about the decision.

The announcement was made smack dab in the middle of Pride Month after activists accused the NHL of not making the LGBTQ community welcome at its games. Bettman called the accusations “legitimate concerns.”

“But in the final analysis, all of the efforts and emphasis on the importance of these various courses have been undermined by the distraction in terms of which teams, which players, this way we’re keeping the focus on the game and on these specialty nights, we’re going to be focused on the cause,” he asserted.

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Bettman made it clear that Pride Nights and other heritage celebrations will still be held by the NHL.

“All of those nights will continue. … The only difference will be is we’re not going to change jerseys for warm-ups because that’s just become more of a distraction from, really, the essence of what the purpose of these nights are,” he contended, using the word “distraction” repeatedly.

Bettman also noted that themed jerseys will still be sold and designed and that players could even choose to “model them.”

“It’s really just a question of what’s on the ice,” he claimed.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the anger coming from the LGBTQ community over the decision, “You Can Play, which has worked with sports and leagues – including the NHL – to help them grow more inclusive for members of the LGBTQ+ community, said it was ‘concerned and disappointed’ by the decision.”

“Today’s decision means that the over 95% of players who chose to wear a Pride jersey to support the community will now not get an opportunity to do so,” the organization declared in a statement. “The work to make locker rooms, board rooms, and arenas safer, more diverse, and more inclusive needs to be ongoing and purposeful, and we will continue to work with our partners at the NHL, including individual teams, players, agents, and the NHLPA to ensure this critical work continues.”

“You know what our goals, our values, and our intentions are across the league, whether it’s at the league level or at the club level,” Bettman previously commented on the issue. “But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences.”

Defenseman Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers started the ball rolling on the issue when he refused to wear the team’s Pride-themed jersey during warm-ups. He cited his Russian Orthodox religion for his refusal according to Fox News. His jersey became one of the league’s best sellers shortly after he took a stand.

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The Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Minnesota Wild also refused to wear the jerseys despite previously announcing they would. Other players on a number of teams opted not to wear them, citing both religion and safety concerns.

There were collective cheers from Twitter users over the decision noting it was about time:

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Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
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