Philadelphia Flyers
defenseman Ivan Provorov boycotted his team’s Pride night and did not step out on the ice for warmups before the Tuesday night
NHL
game.
Prior to the Flyers’ game against the Anaheim Ducks, players wore a
Pride night
jersey and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape.
Provorov cited his religious beliefs as the reason for choosing to skip the pregame skate.
#Flyers Ivan Provorov on his Pride Night pregame boycott :
“My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.” pic.twitter.com/YSFKvkyEJC— Dan Gelston (@APgelston) January 18, 2023
1,000 PEOPLE PACK CALIFORNIA LIBRARY FOR FAITH-BASED STORY TIME WITH KIRK CAMERON
“I respect everybody. I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov
said
after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”
The defenseman, who said he is Russian Orthodox, declined to go into further detail.
Following the game, the Flyers organization affirmed its support for the LGBT community but did not comment specifically on Provorov’s choice to boycott the Pride promotion.
“The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the local LGBTQ+ community,” the statement
said
. “Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community.”
Flyers coach John Tortorella said he respected Provorov for being “true to himself and to his religion.”
“It’s one thing I respect about Provy,” Tortorella
said
. “He’s always true to himself.”
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National Women’s Soccer League
player Jaelene Daniels also created headlines last summer when she
refused to wear a Pride-themed jersey
and subsequently had to sit out an entire game.
