The mystery still hangs over the wearing of the pride jersey by the Montreal Canadiens during the warm-up Thursday evening, before a duel against the Washington Capitals.
Head coach Martin St-Louis said he expected to have to answer “tough questions” on Thursday.
“We started having discussions within the team. It is a very important day. We take this very seriously and we will answer all these questions tomorrow [jeudi]when we are ready to respond to it,” said St-Louis.
Relaunched on the possibility that one or more of his players decide not to wear the jersey of pride, St-Louis simply replied that he “does not know”.
St-Louis, however, said he was someone for whom “all causes are important”.
” I like everyone. I accept everyone, regardless of religion, race or sexual orientation. I’m a guy who welcomes everyone. »
The four players made available to the media after practice — Jonathan Drouin, Chris Wideman, Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau — left no doubt about their intention to wear their uniforms. These jerseys must then be auctioned off online.
“There are people who have trouble coming out of the closet and who live with it with difficulty. If we can show our support and help, it can become a simple gesture that will help someone, Primeau said. It’s just a sweater, but there’s symbolism. »
Drouin, however, said the players would be free to wear the jersey or not. He also spoke about cultural differences around the world, including the situation in Russia, where laws prohibit LGBTQ+ “propaganda”. Other players cited their religious beliefs as the reason for their decision not to wear a Pride jersey.
“We are aware of the circumstances that are sometimes different, like with some Russians, for whom it is different because of what is happening in their country,” Drouin said. It’s disappointing to see this in 2023, but you have to support your teammates and I’m also thinking of the players from other teams. »
The Canadian did not make striker Denis Gurianov available, despite requests made by the journalists present in the hope of clarifying his situation.
A small group of NHL players have refused to wear Pride jerseys during warm-up this season, including Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers, Andrei Kuzmenko of the Vancouver Canucks, James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks, Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers and Ilya Lyubushkin of the Buffalo Sabers.
Some teams have changed or canceled their plans for similar nights.
On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs skipped the Pride jersey during warmup, opting instead for rainbow tape on the sticks and a sticker on the helmets. Goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov did not make these additions to his kit.
” I do not see why [un joueur du Canadien ne porterait pas le chandail], said Primeau. But I’m not here to judge or convince anyone. I don’t know the values of all the players. We will see. »
Another chance to bounce back
Facing the Capitals, the Canadian will try to end a series of four defeats, including the last two by shutout.
St-Louis confirmed that Montembeault would defend the Habs net. He also insisted that no one on the team has yet moved on from the campaign, even though there are only four games left to play.
“We have very good intentions,” he said. We talk about our game, we come to training. It’s not like we’re just wasting time until the end of the season. I have been in this situation and I can tell you that the attitude of the players here is incredible. »
“I know we are judged by wins and losses. It’s normal. It’s not easy to play at the Bell Center and not score a single goal in two games. We are disappointed, but we continue to work to find solutions. »
In addition, forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard trained with his teammates on Wednesday, but wore a jersey indicating that he should avoid contact.
Harvey-Pinard has missed the Canadiens’ last two games due to an accumulation of minor injuries.