A National Hockey League team has decided not to wear Pride jerseys in honour of Pride night after an anti-gay law was enforced in Russion that could cause serious problems for Russian players when they return home.
Chicago Blackhawks, which has two players with connections to Russia, will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday’s game against Vancouver, because of security concerns involving the law, which expands restrictions on supporting LGBTQ rights.
Chicago manager Luke Richardson said on Thursday that he and his players were disappointed and described it as “an unfortunate situation.”
The league refused to comment, as did agent Dan Milstein, who represents Russian players on the Blackhawks and other teams.