NHL removes mandatory LGBT jerseys from warm-ups
The National Hockey League (NHL) has changed the rules of actions in support of LGBT people before the matches. This was announced by league commissioner Gary Bettman, whose words are reported by sportsnet.ca.
Bettman said that next season the NHL decided to waive the mandatory use of pro-LGBT jerseys by hockey players in warm-ups. “All efforts and emphasis on the importance of these events have been undermined by the distraction of which teams and players [отказывались надевать джерси с ЛГБТ-символикой]. This way we keep our focus on the game and the special nights,” he explained.
During the 2022/2023 season, the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers refused to participate in promotions. In addition, Russian hockey players Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers and Ilya Lyubushkin from the Buffalo Sabers did not wear rainbow uniforms.
It was reported that in Minnesota they refused to wear rainbow jerseys due to a ban on LGBT propaganda in Russia. According to The Athletic, the team studied the law adopted in Russia in 2022 for several days and decided not to participate in the action due to concern for forward Kirill Kaprizov.
Source: Lenta
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