The wearing of the rainbow-colored jersey in support of the LGBTQ+ community continues to be talked about, with the Chicago Blackhawks also refusing to wear it for security reasons in relation to their Russian players.
Journalist Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reported the news on Wednesday evening. The “Hawks” were to use these uniforms during the warm-up before the game against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Three of the organization’s players – Nikita Zaitsev, Philipp Kurashev and Anton Khudobin – have Russian origins or family, which puts them at risk under the country’s laws. It criminalized all support for LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in December.
“While we know that celebrations on game days are an important way to bring visibility through our platform, it is the work we do 365 days a year that creates a real impact by ensuring that all our colleagues, fans and communities feel welcome and safe in our sport,” the Blackhawks said in a statement, according to Lazerus.
“We do not tolerate anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and we strongly support the community,” it added.
The Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers are other rosters that opted out of the rainbow uniform, likely due to the many Russian players on their roster. Ivan Provorov and James Reimer also refused to wear the Pride jersey because of their religious beliefs.