NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently noted that the league might begin reevaluating the idea of holding gay pride nights with the increasing number of players and teams opting out either for religious or foreign pressure reasons.
Recently, several players have opted out of wearing gay pride jerseys during gay pride night, and at least three teams joined these players to eschew the jerseys. Two reasons have been offered to explain these actions. First, several teams and players have cited a new law in Russia that outlaws “gay propaganda” and pinpointed the law as worrisome for the safety of their Russia-born players and those players’ family members who are still living in Russia. They fear players being seen in gay pride jerseys could cause Russian authorities to target them. Secondly, players have cited their personal religious beliefs for opting out of wearing gay pride jerseys.
See the full article by Warner Todd Huston, March 29, 2023