Report: Blackhawks Won't Wear Pride Jerseys Due to Concerns for Russian Player Safety

The Chicago Blackhawks will become the fourth team in the NHL this season to forgo wearing Pride jerseys during warmups when they take the ice on Sunday night at United Center against the Vancouver Canucks.

Chicago is opting against wearing the jerseys on the team's scheduled Pride Night because of safety concerns for Russian players, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times.

A Russian law enacted in December expanded the ban on "gay propaganda" in the country, making it "illegal to promote or 'praise' LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are 'normal,'" according to CNN's Ivana Kottasova.

The Blackhawks currently have three players on their roster of Russian descent or who have family in Russia—defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, forward Philipp Kurashev and goaltender Anton Khudobin.

Zaitsev and Khudobin were born in Russia. Kurashev was born in Switzerland, though his parents are Russian.

While the team will not wear Pride jerseys, the Blackhawks will have several Pride-related initiatives during Sunday's game, including a performance from the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and DJ Zel, who is a member of the LGBTQ community, according to Pope.

The Chicago Gay Hockey Association will also compete in an on-ice competition during intermission. Additionally, the Blackhawks intend to feature other LGBTQ performers and small businesses at the arena.

The Blackhawks said in a statement to the Chicago Sun Times:

"The Chicago Blackhawks organization is proud to continue its annual Pride Night celebration, an evening — alongside year-round efforts — fueled by partnership and LGBTQIA+ community engagement.

"Together, our activities will focus on fostering conversation and more equitable spaces in our pursuit to make hockey more inclusive. We do not condone anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and we stand firmly with the community."

"While we know game-day celebrations like these are an important way we can use our platform to bring visibility, it is the work we do together 365 days a year that can create true impact in ensuring all of our colleagues, fans and communities feel welcomed and safe within our sport."

Pride jerseys have become a contentious topic in the NHL since Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, who is from Russia, opted against wearing a Pride jersey when the team held its annual Pride Night in January.

Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, cited his religious beliefs as the reasoning for his decision to not wear the jersey.

The New York Rangers initially planned to wear Pride jerseys during warmups on Jan. 27 against the Vegas Golden Knights, but scrapped the plan, citing "everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs."

The Rangers have several Russian players on their roster, including goaltender Igor Shesterkin and forwards Artemi Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko.

The New York Islanders also made the decision to forgo Pride jerseys during the team's scheduled Pride Night on Feb. 9, citing its organizational policy as the reason for not doing so.

The Minnesota Wild also originally planned to have players wear Pride jerseys during warmups on March 7, but they ended up scrapping the plan over concern for Russian players. Some players still used Pride tape on their sticks during warmups.

In a report on the NHL and the Russian law on March 10, The Athletic noted forward Kirill Kaprizov had trouble returning to the United States for the beginning of the NHL season this fall, prior to the law being enacted.

Ben Noble, an associate professor of Russian politics at University College London, told The Athletic:

"These are legitimate fears. If you put on a Pride jersey, then there is uncertainty regarding how this would be interpreted by law enforcement in Russia — and that's a risk. The authorities have the power to enforce this and other legislation selectively. It's up to them to decide whom they go after."

It is worth mentioning that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who is Russian, wore the team's Pride jersey during warmups on Dec. 12.

Most recently, San Jose Sharks forward James Reimer also opted against wearing the team's Pride jersey during warmups on March 18, citing his Christian beliefs for deciding not to do so.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the way teams have handled situations that have arisen during Pride night celebrations during a news conference at the NHL's All-Star Weekend in February (h/t Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press):

"You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether it's at the league level or at the club level. But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences."

Several teams still have Pride night celebrations scheduled this season.