Blues will not wear Pride jerseys during warmups on Pride night: Source

Blues players will not wear Pride jerseys during warmups before the team’s Pride night game against the Flyers on Tuesday, a team source told The Athletic on Monday. Here’s what you need to know:

The Blues announced their plans for Pride night, which included a list of promotions, but notably omitted whether the team will be wearing Pride jerseys during the pregame warmups. The team said there will be Pride-themed warmup pucks and rainbow stick tape available for players.
The source said the decision not to wear the warmup jerseys was made to put the focus on the positive things the team is doing to support and affirm the LGBTQIA+ community.
St. Louis previously wore Pride jerseys during warmups on April 6, 2022.

What the Blues said

In a statement, Blues president and CEO of business operations Chris Zimmerman said they “believe in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that encourages all fans to participate in our great sport.”

“With our Pride Night, alongside our partners from Pride STL and You Can Play Project, we are recognizing our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community and advocating for inclusivity in support of the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone initiative,” he added. “As an organization, we are committed to celebrating and welcoming all individuals as valued members of the Blues family — regardless of how they identify or whom they love.”

Backstory

A number of individual players have opted out of some Pride night plans this season, citing concerns for Russian player safety after Russia’s anti-gay laws were amended in early December. Others have cited religious beliefs. Per The New York Times, the new Russian law makes it “illegal to spread ‘propaganda’ about ‘nontraditional sexual relations’ in all media, including social, advertising and movies.” The law states fines can be up to $6,400 for citizens and $80,000 for organizations.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly recently told The Athletic that the league does not have any information to suggest that Russian players are facing “material” threats in Russia or elsewhere if they choose to participate in Pride night activities.

Other NHL teams have gone forward this season with wearing Pride warmup jerseys with either full or near-full participation.

In January, the Philadelphia Flyers had one player, Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov, opt out of warmups with his teammates on their Pride night because he didn’t want to wear the team’s Pride jersey, citing his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs.

Early last month, the San Jose Sharks continued with plans to host their Pride night despite an opt-out by goaltender James Reimer, who cited his faith as a reason for not wearing a Pride jersey during warmups. The Blackhawks declined to wear Pride jerseys last month, with team sources citing “security concerns” for their three players of Russian heritage. Additionally, Panthers players Marc and Eric Staal did not participate in warmups as part of the team’s Pride night last week, also citing their Christian beliefs.

Last Monday, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin did not participate in the team’s pregame skate ahead of its Pride night game, citing fears about Russian law and what it would mean when he goes home to Russia. On Friday, Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko said he would not wear the team’s Pride night warmup jersey, calling the choice “a family decision.”