Ivan Provorov takes the time to explain why he chose to not wear the Flyers Pride jersey

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Josh tupper
January 18, 2023 (9:44)

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Last night the Philadelphia Flyers hosted their official "Pride Night". For warm ups the team wore Pride flag inspired jerseys as they took to the ice. Noticeably absent from the ice was Flyer's defender, Ivan Provorov. Initial reactions seemed to indicate that Provorov was a healthy scratch, but that proved to not be the case.

As warm ups came to a close, Provorov's name was still penciled into his usual spot on the lineup card. Fans began to question whether or not Provorov was a game-time decision, who was potentially battling something. However, late in the 3rd period a story began to leak that the reason Provorov never took to the ice was due to a refusal to wear the Pride jersey.

As rumors begun to swirl the Flyers issued the following statement:

The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of 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.

After the game Provorov made himself available to media and answered why he chose not to partake in the pregame skate.

I respect everybody and I respect everybody's choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.

Regardless of how you feel about Provorov's decision, he deserves credit for speaking out after the game. Other players around the league who have made controversial decisions have opted to not face the media, or have done so in rehearsed statements. Provorov faced the media, explained his choice and stood by it, something not every player in the NHL would have the courage to do.

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