NHL groups gained’t have particular jerseys for pregame warmups throughout themed nights subsequent season, the results of a handful of gamers refusing to put on rainbow-colored Pride jerseys this previous season and inflicting unwelcome distractions.

The league’s Board of Governors agreed Thursday with Commissioner Gary Bettman’s view that the refusals overshadowed groups’ efforts in internet hosting Pride nights that in some circumstances included auctioning off the warmup jerseys. All 32 groups held Pride or Hockey is for Everyone evening.

Teams will nonetheless have fun Pride and different theme nights, together with army appreciation and Hockey Fights Cancer. They’re additionally anticipated to nonetheless design and produce jerseys to be autographed and offered to lift cash, although gamers gained’t skate round with them on throughout warmups.

Seven gamers, citing varied causes, determined not to participate in pregame warmups when their groups donned Pride jerseys earlier than video games. A number of groups additionally determined to not have gamers put on them after planning to take action.

Ivan Provorov, a Russian defenseman then with Philadelphia, was the primary in January. Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox faith and was defended by coach John Tortorella.

James Reimer, a goaltender for San Jose, and brothers Eric and Marc Staal of Florida, who're Canadian, additionally cited non secular beliefs. Russian gamers Ilya Lyubushkin of Buffalo, Denis Gurianov of Montreal and Andrei Kuzmenko of Vancouver additionally opted out of their groups’ Pride evening warmups.

Lyubushkin cited an anti-gay Kremlin regulation as his motive, which was additionally why the Chicago Blackhawks determined in opposition to Pride evening jerseys. The New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild earlier opted in opposition to the jerseys after beforehand promoting they might have them.

Sergei Bobrovsky, who's Russian, took half in warmups the evening the Staal brothers declined and within the aftermath of a number of countrymen deciding to not put on Pride jerseys.

Bettman, in an interview with Sportsnet following the Board of Governors assembly in New York, stated he prompt groups cease having particular warmup jerseys as a result of themed nights have been being undermined by chatter over sure gamers declining to take part.

“That’s just become more of a distraction from really the essence of what the purpose of these nights are,” Bettman stated. “We’re keeping the focus on the game. And on these specialty nights, we’re going to be focused on the cause.”

Bettman at NHL All-Star Weekend in February defended the league and groups’ dealing with of the conditions, saying tolerance of various viewpoints was a part of being “open, welcoming and inclusive.”

“You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether it’s at the league level or at the club level,” Bettman stated on the time. “But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences.”

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