Checking their Pride

“Hockey is for everyone.” The National Hockey League has pushed that mantra in recent years to promote LGBTQ inclusion, both in its teams’ locker rooms and among those teams’ fan bases.

Apparently, the NHL has now realized that “everyone” includes Christians, too.

Due in part to pushback from four Christian players who respectfully refused to wear LGBTQ-themed warmup jerseys earlier this year, the NHL has banned teams from requiring players to wear such jerseys.

“It’s become a distraction,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said of the specialty jerseys in an interview with media outlet Sportsnet in mid-June. The ban applies to other special warmup jerseys, too.

To be clear, NHL teams may still host LGBTQ Pride nights, along with other themed events, such as military nights or heritage nights. Teams can also create and sell special jerseys to support charities of their choosing—something the warmup jerseys were previously used for—and players can choose to model them in team promotional ads. Teams simply cannot compel their players to wear specialty gear, either during warmups or when competing.

“It’s really just a question of what’s on the ice,” Bettman told Sportsnet.

Bettman’s reconsideration of the issue was prompted by the actions of several players this season. Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, an adherent of the Russian Orthodox faith, first refused to wear a Pride-themed warmup jersey back in January. In the ensuing months, three more NHL players followed suit: San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and brothers Eric and Marc Staal, who both play for the Florida Panthers, declined to participate in their teams’ Pride-themed promotions in March, citing their Christian beliefs.

All four players emphasized their respect for all persons, regardless of gender or sexuality, when discussing their decisions with the media. They simply could not, in good conscience, wear jerseys promoting a message that conflicted with their faiths’ teachings.

Another major sports league also took action on the same front this year: After five Christian pitchers with the Tampa Bay Rays declined to wear rainbow-themed caps and uniform patches at their team’s Pride Night game last season, Major League Baseball ordered teams to avoid wearing rainbow-themed gear during games.

Still, the battle over Pride jerseys appears far from over: You Can Play, the organization that served as the driving force behind many of the NHL’s pro-LGBTQ initiatives, has expressed displeasure with the league’s decision. So did Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid at the ceremony where the NHL named him its Most Valuable Player.

To placate LGBTQ groups, the NHL and its players’ union on June 27 announced the formation of a Player Inclusion Coalition consisting of “Players of color, LGBTQ+ Players, and allies” who will aim “to advance equality and inclusion in the sport of hockey on and off the ice.”

The coalition’s announcement said nothing about valuing religious perspectives.