Chicago Blackhawks to join growing list of NHL players and teams to not wear Pride jerseys

The Chicago Blackhawks will not be wearing their Pride jerseys for Pride Night on Sunday due to concerns for three Russian players, according to reports from The Athletic‘s Mark Lazerus.

With the Blackhawks opting to not wear the jerseys, they join a growing list of players and teams that have done the same since Russia passed a law in December that criminalized any sort of LGBTQ+ propaganda. According to Lazerus’ report, the decision was made by team management and security officials, not by the players.

This comes after it was initially believed that the Blackhawks would wear the jerseys. Alternate captain Connor Murphy talked about how they likely would with The Athletic just over two weeks ago.

“I don’t think we have anyone, that I know of, that wouldn’t support that,” said Murphy. “I think it was surprising to see that stuff came up this year. We’ve been doing it for so many years, so it’s not like it’s a new subject. It is a bit disappointing (to see around the league). It seems like we have so many other nights, and nobody raises any issues. Hockey is about inclusion, about growing the community and the game. I don’t see why anyone would have a need to feel like they don’t support a certain group. If it’s about the game and about bringing everyone together and about equality, everyone should always be supportive of that.”

This recent trend started in January 2023 when Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov decided not to participate in warmups due to his beliefs with the Russian Orthodox, although the rest of the Flyers still participated. Since then, the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild have backed out, and James Reimer sat out of warmups while the rest of his San Jose Sharks participated, tying his reason to his beliefs as a Mennonite.

It’s a disappointing turn of events for the league, but not surprising that a domino effect would ensue after Provorov’s initial decision, especially considering how conservatively the NHL has handled recent situations of this nature, such as visiting the White House during Donald Trump’s presidency and a majority of the decisions made regarding Black Lives Matter in the bubble in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.

It’s an utter failure of the Hockey is for Everyone movement that the NHL brags about, but rarely does the work to truly support. For more of an insight as to the kind of impact it may have to the league and its fans, check out my story from earlier this week about the impact it can have on LGBTQ+ fans.