No more Pride jerseys during warm-ups

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed on Thursday that NHL teams will not be wearing rainbow jerseys in support of Pride next season. He made the announcement in an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Here are the NHL Commissioner’s exact words.

The decision was made at the last NHL governors’ meeting.

As Bettman explains, Pride jerseys aren’t the only ones affected. Players will no longer wear Pride jerseys, nor will they wear jerseys supporting the fight against cancer or supporting the military.

On the other hand, teams will still be allowed to organize theme nights, such as Pride nights. What Bettman didn’t want was the distraction it could create with players’ jerseys on the ice.

Several players caused controversy by refusing to wear Pride jerseys last season. Ivan Provorov was the first to refuse. The Russian players were threatened by their country in some way, and it’s possible to understand their choice.

On the other hand, when Eric Staal refused to wear the jersey, it was still a pushover. What’s even sillier is that he said he’d never worn a Pride jersey during a warm-up period, but he had during his stint with the Canadiens.

The return of NHL players to the Olympics was also discussed at the NHL governors’ meeting. However, there have been no developments on this subject.

That’s sad, because it would have been joyous news after the jersey decision that will further divide the entire field hockey community.

Breaking news

– The Oshawa Generals have decided to make better Pride jerseys.

– Victor Wembenyama is poised to become the NBA’s next first overall pick.

– Not Ivan.