PK Subban divides the hockey world with recent statements

PK Subban has never been one to bite his tongue.

The former NHL superstar defenseman turned ESPN analyst has never had a problem holding back his opinion and has made more than his fair share of both friends and enemies thanks to his outspoken nature. Earlier this week Subban made headlines once again when he weighed in on the recent trend of players and teams electing to NOT support the NHL's Pride celebrations that seek to increase inclusivity for LGBTQ+ community members.

Here's what Subban had to say:

“We cannot push everyone to be an activist, we need to be very careful. I feel people pick and choose what they want to talk about and I don’t like it when we put the onus on athletes to be activists.”

“You can support the LGBTQ community without having to wear a hat, a T-shirt or a jersey.”

- PK Subban

Subban then turned his criticism to the media, stating that they "need to be held accountable" for pushing narratives and for ignoring much of the positive initiatives happening around the NHL.

“There’s many players in the league that have started programs — why aren’t the media talking about that?” Subban questioned.

To me, all of this makes perfect sense. But this is 2023 after all, so you just KNOW that people are going to have a problem with whatever stance is taken on this sensitive subject. For what it's worth, I mostly agree with Subban's sentiment. You can certainly support the LGBTQ+ community without donning a rainbow-tinged outfit. Am I offended when a player elects to opt out of Pride celebrations? Absolutely not because my self worth isn't tied to a multi-million dollar professional sports franchise and their marketing strategy. At the same time though, I won't tell someone else what they should or should not be offended by... even if I feel it's silly.

The fact of the matter though is that Subban is correct. There are plenty of players across the NHL who have embraced inclusion and who have done wonderful things for the LGBTQ+ community. Let's not let a few religious and political protests detract from the fact that the NHL is making a lot of progress in their quest to become more inclusive.