San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer will not wear Pride Night jersey
James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks has decided not to participate in Saturday night’s warmups to avoid wearing the team’s Pride Night jerseys, citing religious reasons.
The veteran goaltender’s teammates will wear the uniform as a show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community before their home game against the New York Islanders.
Reimer, 34, released a statement citing his Christianity as the cause of his decision to forgo the pregame skate. “In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life,” the goalie wrote.
Reimer said that the gesture was not intended to discourage anyone from joining the hockey community. “The LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects in the game of hockey,” he wrote.
The Sharks organization shared Reimer’s statement about the planned absence on Twitter.
A statement from Goaltender, James Reimer: pic.twitter.com/GwhWxhbmb4
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 18, 2023The Sharks’ Pride Night is the latest of many throughout the league this season. Their rollout has not been without controversy.
In January, Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman Ivan Provorov decided to skip warmups to avoid donning the rainbow jersey, like Reimer, citing his faith. Provorov’s actions found him at the center of a league-wide dialogue.
The New York Rangers advertised that they would wear the jersey and came under fire for failing to do so during the warmups before their Pride Night. The neighboring Islanders also decided to forgo the jerseys and cited team policy.
The Minnesota Wild were speculated to have scrapped the warmup uniforms to avoid blowback on star player Kirill Kaprizov, whose native Russia punishes public shows of support for the gay community.
The game between the last-in-the-West Sharks and an Isles team seeking playoff hockey will go forward at 10:30 pm ET.