NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will evaluate its Pride nights in the offseason after several players have refused to wear Pride-themed jerseys this season.
"This is the first time we've experienced that, and I think it's something that we're going to have to evaluate in the offseason," Bettman told CTV News on Monday in Ottawa.
A handful of players have objected to participating in pre-game warmups that include Pride-themed jerseys in recent weeks, citing their religious beliefs.
Pride nights have been held annually by several NHL teams for years. Bettman said the league has been "aggressive and supportive" in the profile and platforms it's been consistently using for Pride nights.
"This is one issue where players for a variety of reasons may not feel comfortable wearing the uniform as a form of endorsement," he said.
"But I think that's become more of a distraction now, because the substance of what our teams and we have been doing and stand for is really being pushed to the side for what is a handful of players basically have made personal decisions, and you have to respect that as well."
Florida Panthers players Eric and Marc Staal, in town to play the Senators Monday night, refused to wear the jerseys last Thursday night, citing their Christian beliefs.
“We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey,” they said in a statement. “Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a Pride jersey, it goes against our Christian beliefs.”
San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer and Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov also pointed to their religions in refusing to wear them.
LGBTQ+ advocates and others have called the players' decisions a step back for hockey as the sport strives to be more inclusive.
On Monday, Buffalo Sabres defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin said he would not participate in the warmup Monday night when the team is scheduled to wear Pride jerseys, citing anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Russia.
Last Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks decided against having their players wear the jerseys for Pride night, citing an anti-gay law in Russia.
The Blackhawks said they acted out of concern that the safety of their Russian player and two others with connections to Russia could be jeopardized by the law when they return home because it expands restrictions on supporting LGBTQ rights.
All NHL teams hold a Pride night, although many do so without themed jerseys. The events are planned by the individual teams, not the league.
Bettman was in Ottawa to take in the Senators game against the Panthers. He also met with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe and National Capital Commission officials as the sale of the Senators heats up.
- with files from the Associated Press
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.
Special rapporteur David Johnston has hired crisis communications firm Navigator, his office confirmed on Friday.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
An airline consumer advocate says Air Canada should face tougher consequences for stranding passengers after two disruptions in a week.
At the moment, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in what’s being called an unprecedented fire season. While firefighters work tirelessly to battle the merciless flames and prevent further destruction, scientists say the wildfires are linked to climate change and that this will be the new normal.
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Nova Scotia’s premier says the “historic” wildfires in the province have caused a “breath-taking amount of damage.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Nova Scotia’s premier says the “historic” wildfires in the province have caused a “breath-taking amount of damage.”
A man has been found dead inside a Tim Hortons in Halifax.
A man has been charged with first-degree murder in the homicide of a 62-year-old woman in Labelle, N.S.
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.
A man is in hospital after being stabbed at Kennedy Station, police say.
Three Toronto men have been charged with attempted murder after they allegedly shot an innocent dog walker in Schomberg, Ont. in a case of mistaken identity.
Parts of Quebec's controversial language law that took effect Thursday could still be tweaked, according to the minister responsible for the French language.
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.
Planning to pass time in Montreal's many parks this summer? Check yourself for ticks, warns one woman who recently contracted Lyme disease. Jasmine Rochereul, 23, says she spent much of last summer sprawled in city parks, where she believes she picked up the tick-borne illness.
Highway 11 has reopened between Kapuskasing and Hearst after a two-vehicle collision Friday morning.
Three people have been charged this week after having campfires during the fire ban and one person could be fined up to $25,000 or face jail time.
A popular beach in Bracebridge is open to the public two days after sewing needles were found in the water, but a second beach has since closed over safety concerns.
Multiple sources have told CTV News that the WSIB is now eyeing the 3M building at 300 Tartan Dr. near Veterans Memorial Parkway as a new headquarters.
Around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, officers responded to two separate calls where citizens believed they heard gunshots in the 100 block of Albert Street near Talbot Street.
Some 700 students took to the track at A.B. Lucas Secondary School in North London, Ont. Friday to take part in a student led Relay For Life.
A school in Winnipeg was placed into a hold and secure after a reported crash and possible assault in the area.
An upcoming by-law vote about religious instruction is causing conflict in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division (SJASD).
A Winnipeg man who bought a flipped home two years ago says some hidden problems have bubbled up to the surface – in some cases quite literally.
A woman in her 80s has been rushed to hospital with critical injuries after a crash near Wallenstein, according to Ornge Air Ambulance.
A long-term care home in Fergus, Ont. has adopted two ducklings as part of an animal therapy program to give its residents a sense of purpose.
A family of three is safe after they escaped a fire at their Cambridge home. Neighbours described the flames as "unbelievable."
Eight fuzzy ducklings were rescued from a precarious situation on Friday, thanks to Calgary police and workers from the City of Calgary.
It's the start of a new season at Moraine Lake and for the first time, you will have to take a shuttle bus to access the famous landmark -- no matter how early you're willing to show up.
Three southwest Calgary communities are under a boil water advisory due to a watermain break Thursday afternoon at a nearby construction site.
Students at a Catholic school in Saskatoon say their high school is restricting and censoring Pride week celebrations.
A woman has pleaded guilty to starting a fire that burned down a Prince Albert community centre.
For 40 years, Saskatchewan residents have been bringing their shoes into Broadway Shoe Repair for a fix or in search of a new pair of shoes.
Brought together by kindness and heartbreak, a group of women is helping an Alberta mother make sure her missing son is never forgotten.
A teen bystander was shot during an altercation outside the Edmonton Convention Centre Thursday evening, police say.
A child is dead after being hit by a trailer in Grande Prairie on Friday.
A B.C. man who put a deposit down on an electric vehicle in 2020 is still waiting to learn when it will arrive.
There is little relief for British Columbia's wildfire fight in the immediate forecast.
One person has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after an ultralight aircraft crashed and caught on fire in Surrey Friday afternoon.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders edged the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-16 in their final pre-season test.
The City of Regina has a three-phase approach to address the flooding that occurs at the downtown underpasses during most heavy rainfalls, including Thursday night’s storm.
Eight years ago, the Regina Police Service (RPS) embarked on a facility dog program. Now, one of its first recruits officially retired from her career.
