Team sources confirmed that the Blackhawks would become the third NHL team to refuse to wear Pride jerseys during Pride Night, citing security concerns for the three players of Russian descent. the athlete.
Two Blackhawks sources stressed that the decision was made by team management and security officials, not by the players, but it represents another blow to hockey and is a movement for all that the NHL proudly promotes, but often fails to support.
A Russian law was passed in December criminalizing so-called LGBT “propaganda”. Since then, both the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers have opted not to wear Pride-themed jerseys during warmups—the jerseys usually have the colors of the rainbow and are auctioned for charity.
Now the Blackhawks will join them, contradicting previous statements by replacement captain Conor Murphy and team CEO Danny Wirts.
Just two weeks ago, on the heels of Wild and Rangers decisions, the athlete I spoke with Murphy about the upcoming Blackhawk Pride Night. Murphy was confident the Blackhawks would wear the jerseys—a small part of Pride Knight, but easily the most obvious.
“I don’t think we’ve got anybody, that I know, that wouldn’t support that,” Murphy said. “I think it’s been amazing to see this stuff come up this year. We’ve been doing it for many years, so it’s not like it’s a new topic. … It’s a little disappointing (to see what’s going on in the league). We seem to have a lot of The other nights, and nobody raises any problems. Hockey is about inclusion, about community development and the game. I don’t see why anyone should feel like they don’t support a certain group. If it’s about the game and bringing everyone together and about equality, everyone should always support that “.
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When asked last month what the Blackhawks would do if a player wanted to opt out of Pride Knight, Wirtz said he “don’t want to give too much energy to outliers. I want to give it to the things that work and the players behind them, the players committed to this, and our staff[to whom]This is really important. This is really where we want to (focus our energy).”
In this context, the team source did not know if the players who wanted to wear the shirts had rejected the decision at all. The organization chose not to give the players a choice, citing concerns that Russian players could be in a position to cite Russian law as a reason for their absence. Because of the way the law is written, the team was concerned that players would end up violating it simply by citing it as their reason for not participating, as it meant they would otherwise have worn the jerseys.
The Philadelphia Flyers wore Pride jerseys while defenseman Ivan Provorov sat, and the San Jose Sharks all donned their jerseys while goaltender James Reimer sat, citing his Christian beliefs. On Tuesday, the entire star cast donned their Pride jerseys during Pride Night in Dallas.
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The source said the Black Hawks reached out to their community partners to explain the decision, and while they “understood,” there was obvious “disappointment.”
Sunday night’s game will continue to be “Pride Night,” which includes front office working with the You Can Play team, a Chicago Gay Hockey Association family ice skate at the team’s training facility, and a “fireside chat” with assistant general manager Meghan Hunter and activist In Alphabet Sports Alliance Brooke McGillis. Before the game, there will be an event in the United Center atrium featuring LGBTQIA+ artists, small businesses, and an in-game performance from the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus.
“We do not condone anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric, and we stand firm with the community,” the team said in a released statement. “While we know that gameday celebrations like this are an important way we can use our platform to drive visibility, the work we do together 365 days a year can make a real impact in ensuring all of our teammates, fans and communities feel welcome and safe in our sport.”
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(Photo of last year’s Pride Night jerseys: Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)
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