After several recent incidents involving players or teams rejecting the idea of wearing pride jerseys in support of the LGBTQ+ community, the New York Islanders are the latest team caught up in the controversy.
The Islanders have a scheduled pride night on Thursday. Still, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post, the team won’t be wearing rainbow-colored anything, no jerseys or tape, citing “organization policy” as the reason.
The Islanders reportedly have a policy against wearing “specialized warm-ups” unless, of course, they’re league-mandated, as is the case with Hockey Fights Cancer, Military and Saint Patrick’s Day jerseys.
The New York Rangers inexplicably backed out of wearing pride jerseys ahead of the team’s pride night last month against the Vegas Golden Knights. In a statement from the Rangers the following day, the team didn’t acknowledge the sudden change, only that the organization respected the LGBTQ+ community and supported “everyone’s individual right to respectfully express their beliefs.”
Before the Rangers’ incident, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to participate in the team’s pride night for religious reasons. Provorov, who told reporters he’s Russian Orthodox, said he respected “everybody’s choices” but chose to stay true to his religion. Much like the Rangers, the Flyers didn’t address Provorov’s comments, even after coming under fire for letting the defenseman play in the game. Instead, the team released a statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community while voicing its commitment to “inclusivity.”
Pride nights are scheduled far in advance, so these last-minute changes are likely the result of player complaints. The Islanders learned from the Flyers and Rangers by getting in front of it. However, the team provided the same tired excuses as the others, proving the NHL has a long way to go before the sport is truly “for everyone.”
