Alex Ovechkin shares his thoughts on how the NHL handled players not wearing Pride Jerseys
PUBLICATION
Sam Hutch
September 18, 2023 (8:36)
Last season, there were a handful of players in the National Hockey League that didn't participate in their teams Pride Nights, this caused quite a stir around the league and divided fans. According to some fans, players opting out of this didn't make the NHL a true ally.
This lead to some teams opting to cancel Pride Nights all together and the NHL taking away all special jersey theme nights for the coming season. Now Alex Ovechkin is sharing his thoughts on the matter and how he feels the league handled this.
The Washington captain was also praising NHL leadership for not imposing any sanctions on players like Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers and current Red Wings goalie James Reimer over their refusal to participate in NHL-sanctioned Pride Night events in support of the LGBTQ community.
"Well, what can I say here?," Ovechkin asked "Well done. It would be like this everywhere." Ovechkin, one of the most prominent figures in the NHL praised the league for not cracking down on players like Provorov and Reimer.
Those nights eventually were bound to divide the sport, inside and outside of the locker room, I just hope that the NHL's decision to let people have their beliefs, whether right or wrong doesn't backfire. That being said, getting rid of all theme nights this season is the right choice.
POLL |
Should NHL host Pride Nights? |
Yes, it's good for the game | 27 | 12.6 % |
No, they don't need them | 187 | 87.4 % |
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