PHILADELPHIA – Flyers defender Ivan Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion as a reason why he did not participate in pre-game warm-ups when the team wore Pride jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape .
Provorov, 26, boycotted the pregame skate with his teammates before Tuesday night’s game against Anaheim as the Flyers celebrated their annual Pride night in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community. He played nearly 23 minutes in Philadelphia’s 5-2 win.
“I respect everyone’s decisions,” Provorov said after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Provorov declined to answer follow-up questions about his decision.
Flyers coach John Tortorella said Provorov was “true to himself and to his religion.”
“That’s one thing I respect about Provy, he’s always true to himself,” Tortorella said.
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Leader of Russia’s dominant religious groupsent a strong signal to justify his country’s invasion of Ukraine last March – describing the conflict as part of a fight against sin and pressure from liberal foreigners to hold “gay parades” as a price for inducting them into their ranks.
The jerseys and sticks were to be auctioned off by the Flyers after the game, with proceeds going to the team’s charity and its efforts to spread the game of hockey to various communities.
The Flyers also hosted a pregame skate for local LGBTQ+ youth. Flyers players James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton are staunch supporters of the community and have created a program to support local LGBTQ+ youth in the Philadelphia area.
Laughton and van Riemsdyk clashed after the game 50 people in the LGBTQ+ community. Laughton said that overall the Flyers had a “great, great night that gets a lot of attention”.
Laughton said further talks would be forthcoming with Provorov, who moved to the United States from Russia as a teenager. He signed a Six-year, $40.5 million contract prior to the 2019 season and won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ outstanding defenseman in his rookie season, becoming the youngest Philadelphia player to receive the honor.
“I don’t blame anyone,” Laughton said. “It’s not like that. It was a great night and I’m very happy that we won on a night like this.”
All-Star forward Kevin Hayes, who had a hat-trick in the Anaheim win, said “it’s not my place to answer that” when asked how he felt about Provorov’s decision.
The Wells Fargo Center was decked out in rainbow colors Tuesday night representing the LGBTQ+ community through special rainbow-themed arena LEDs, decorations and team merchandise.
“The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusion and proud to support the LGBTQ+ community,” the team said in a statement after the game. “Many of our players actively support local LGBTQ+ organizations and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community.”
The NHL is also champion of the You can play project, which aims to ensure equality, respect and safety for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation. The NHL has never had an openly gay active player.
___
AP NHL: www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
