Yet another NHL team ditches Pride jerseys

Yet another team has elected to NOT wear Pride themed warmups jerseys for LGBTQ+ celebrations in the NHL.

St. Louis Blues insider Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports today that the Blues will not wear special Pride themed uniforms for tomorrow night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, as had been planned earlier.

From Rutherford:

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.

- Jeremy Rutherford

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.”

A number of NHL players and/or teams have elected not to wear Pride warmup jerseys this season, either for religious or political reasons. Of course, Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov sort of kick started these 'silent protests' but the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild all soon followed. A number of Russian-born players have also opted out of Pride celebrations over concerns that they will face criminal charges in Russia for endorsing what the Russian government calls "non-normal lifestyles."