NHL Ending Speciality Uniforms During Warmups

The Philadelphia Flyers and other NHL teams will not wear specialty jerseys during warmups next season, commissioner Gary Bettman said to Sportsnet.

In January, Ivan Provorov skipped warmups because the Philadelphia Flyers wore Pride-themed jerseys during warmups and wrapped sticks in rainbow Pride tape.

Provorov said his refusal to participate was due to his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs.

“I respect everybody and respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov said after that January game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”

Bettman told Sportsnet that theme nights should “absolutely” continue throughout the NHL but without the warmup jerseys, which he said had “become a distraction.”

“Thirty-two of our clubs did Pride nights, some do Heritage nights, everybody does Hockey Fights Cancer, some do military nights,” Bettman told Sportsnet after an NHL Board of Governors meeting Thursday.

“All of those nights will continue. The only difference will be we’re not going to change jerseys for warmup because that’s just become more of a distraction from really the essence of what the purpose of these nights are.”

Last season, the Blackhawks elected to not wear Pride Night warmups. The Wild cancelled their Pride Night. Capitals players had the option of taping their sticks for Pride Night but did not wear speciality jerseys.

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