The Pride party fiasco continues in the NHL as a sixth player refuses to wear a jersey in support of the LGBTQ+ community during a warm-up.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said winger Andrei Kuzmenko won’t be wearing a rainbow jersey at Pride night on Friday. The Canucks, who will cross swords with the Calgary Flames for the occasion, will still hold the evening.
Tocchet clarified that the decision of the Russian player was taken in consultation with his family.
The other two Russian Canucks players will not be in the squad. Vitali Kravtsov will be left in the stands as Vasily Podkolzin missed out on morning practice.
Kuzmenko joins Russian defensemen Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia Flyers) and Ilya Lyubushkin (Buffalo Sabers) as players who refused to wear said jersey. Sharks goaltender James Reimer as well as Florida Panthers brothers Eric and Marc Staal also left out, but on religious grounds.
Three teams have simply canceled their evening: the New York Rangers, the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks.