The NHL is established to ban themed pregame heat-up jerseys future season, the outcome of a calendar year of controversy just after seven gamers refused to dress in Pride-themed warm-up jerseys in guidance of the LGBTQ local community.
Oilers center Connor McDavid, even so, spoke out in opposition to the ban Monday night time as he received the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP in Nashville.
“It’s disappointing to see,” McDavid said. “It’s not my contact, but naturally it is disappointing. … I definitely simply cannot communicate for each individual firm.”
Players who opted out of putting on Pleasure-themed warm-up jerseys this time included Canadiens right wing Denis Gurianov, Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko, Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, then-Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, Sharks goalie James Reimer, Panthers center Eric Staal and Florida defenseman Marc Staal.
All cited possibly their spiritual beliefs or Russia’s anti-homosexual legal guidelines, which had been amended in December 2022.
“I know in Edmonton, we had been one particular of the to start with teams to use the Satisfaction tape,” McDavid claimed. “We strongly really feel hockey is for everybody, and that contains the Pleasure evenings.”