NHL commissioner Bettman said that Provorov’s refusal to rally in support of LGBT should be respected
National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement about the refusal of the Russian defender of the Philadelphia Flyers Ivan Provorov to wear a uniform in support of the LGBT community. His words leads The Score.
Bettman said that the NHL stands for inclusion, but believes it is necessary to respect individual choice. “Some people are more comfortable participating in something than others. Diversity and friendliness lies, among other things, in understanding these differences,” he stressed.
Provorov refused to go out for a rehearsal before the NHL regular season game with the Anaheim Ducks on January 18 because of the use of LGBT uniforms on it. The athlete explained that he respects the choice of everyone, but prefers to remain true to himself and his religion.
After that, Canadian TSN journalist Gord Miller called for the Russian hockey player to be punished. He considered that freedom of speech does not exempt from consequences. However, the leadership of the league emphasized that the players have the right to decide in which promotions to participate. Philadelphia also came out in support of their player.
Source: Lenta
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