By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Philadelphia Flyers held Pride Night on Tuesday night as the team hosted the Anaheim Ducks at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. Defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to take part in the warm ups.
The players wore special LGBT-themed jerseys during their warm ups. Provorov was the only player, who did not participate with his teammates.
“I respect everyone,” Provorov said after the game, according to Philadelphia Inqurier reporter Giana Han. “I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”
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He is reportedly a Russian Orthodox. Following the game, he refused to answer questions about his decision. He only took hockey questions.
“The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community,” the team said in a statement. “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.”
Provorov may have played his one of his final games with the team. The Athletic reported on January 10th that the Flyers have been receiving calls for his services.
The 26-year-old is signed through the 2024-2025 season. He was the Flyers seventh overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
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“With Provy, he’s being true to himself and to his religion,” head coach John Tortorella said after the game. “This has to do with his belief and his religion. That’s one thing I respect about Provy: he’s always true to himself.”
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