Ivan Provorov did not participate in Flyers’ warmups Tuesday night because he refused to wear the teams’ Pride themed warmup jerseys.

As a part of the NHL’s “Hockey is for everyone” initiative, teams take part in a Pride Night to demonstrate the support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023, was Pride Night for the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. Local LGBTQ+ youth and officers from the Greater Philadelphia G.O.A.L. organization were invited onto the ice for a pregame skate. Also, players donned Pride themed jerseys for the pregame warmups and rainbow tape on their sticks. After the game, these items were auctioned off by Flyers’ charities and the proceeds were used for inclusivity measures and to grow the game in diverse communities. 

Defensemen, Ivan Provorov, abstained from the pregame warmups. His reasoning being that he did not want to wear the Pride jersey because it does not align with his religious beliefs. Provorov identifies as Russian Orthodox. Provorov later told reporters that he “respects everybody’s choices,” but that he was choosing to stay true to himself and his religion. 

Provorov’s choice was not received well by the public. Many NHL fans called Provorov homophobic for refusing to participate in the Pride Night celebrations. One NHL analyst, E.J. Hradek, even went so far as to say that Provorov should return to Russia and get involved with the conflict.

Many have also criticized coach John Tortorella for allowing Provorov to play in the game after missing the pregame warmups. Some may recall Tortorella’s statements in 2016 that any player who chose to kneel during the National Anthem would be benched for the remainder of the game. However, Tortorella later changed his tune in light of the racial injustice protests in 2020, stating that he would not punish players for choosing to protest before a game. Tortorella’s decision to allow Provorov to play in Tuesday night’s game appears to align with this sentiment and he has vocally shown his support of Provorov.  

The NHL has also come out in support stating that each player is “free to decide which initiatives to support,” but clarifying that the league is still dedicated to growing hockey in diverse communities and demonstrating their support for those communities.

Sources:

Morik, Ryan. “NHL Analyst Says Ivan Provorov Can 'Get Involved' with Russia-Ukraine War after Refusing Gay Pride Jersey.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nhl-analyst-hradek-ivan-provorov-can-involved-russia-ukraine-war-refusing-gay-pride-jersey.

O'Neil / @Tyler2ONeil / January 18, Tyler. “Christian Hockey Player Skips LGBT Pride Night, Citing His Faith.” The Daily Signal, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/01/18/christian-philadelphia-flyers-player-refuses-wear-lgbt-pride-jersey-citing-faith/.

Wyshynski, Greg. “Flyers' Ivan Provorov Boycotts Pride Night, Cites Religion.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 18 Jan. 2023, https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/35470032/flyers-ivan-provorov-boycotts-pride-night-cites-religion.