Amid Pride Month backlash, the head of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced a win for Christian players who refused to wear Pride jerseys.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the LGBTQ specialty pre-game jerseys a “distraction” in an interview last week.
“I suggested it would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys in warmups because it’s become a distraction,” Bettman told SportsNet of Canada.
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Ivan Provorov first protested the pre-game Pride jerseys in January when he was playing for the Philadelphia Flyers citing his Russian Orthodox religion.
“I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov told reporters at the time. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m gonna say.”
Despite backlash in the mainstream media, fans supported him and his jerseys immediately sold out. The defenseman has since been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.