Did Eric Staal wear a pride jersey before? Examining the truth after controversial statement from Staal brothers

Eric Staal and his brother Marc are the most recent names to be involved in NHL's pride jersey controversies. During the Florida Panthers' Thursday night game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team decided to wear a pride jersey during warmups.However, Eric and his brother Marc refused to wear the pride jerseys, and the event did not go as planned. The controversy erupted after a photo of Eric Staal wearing a pride jersey made the rounds over Twitter.Erin Brown@rinkside#FlaPanthers Eric Staal post-game, when told there is photographic evidence of him wearing a pride jersey in Montreal:“I haven’t before. I never have. … I haven’t worn a pride jersey before.”(Staal wore No. 21 with the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season.)86021425#FlaPanthers Eric Staal post-game, when told there is photographic evidence of him wearing a pride jersey in Montreal:“I haven’t before. I never have. … I haven’t worn a pride jersey before.”(Staal wore No. 21 with the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season.) https://t.co/aHmOgkRNBoEric Staal can be seen wearing a pride jersey in the above Twitter post during his time with the Montreal Canadiens in 2020-21. Despite having clear photographic proof, Eric said in a statement after the game that he had never worn a pride jersey.The Staal brothers issued a joint statement, citing religious beliefs as the primary reason for not wearing the jerseys on the night. They said:&quot;After many thoughts, prayers and discussions, we have chosen not to wear a pride jersey tonight. We carry no judgment on how people decide to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey. Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a pride jersey it goes against our Christian beliefs.&quot;The statement continued:&quot;We hope you can respect this statement, we will not be speaking any further on this matter and would like to continue to focus on the game and helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup.&quot;Tim Reynolds@ByTimReynoldsEric and Marc Staal statement …1383130Eric and Marc Staal statement … https://t.co/EhmVOuXsFaLess than a week ago, San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer refused to wear the pride jersey during warmups. Reimer also cited religious beliefs as the primary reason for his decision not to wear the pride jersey. His decision was heavily criticized by NHL fans and some other players in the league.Fans slammed Eric Staal for denying ever wearing the pride jerseyFans were not too pleased with the fact that Eric denied wearing the pride jersey. Here are some of the reactions:•Min Dhariwal•@MinDhariwal@rinkside How in the hell do you forget that you already took part in a pride night, and wore a jersey which was auctioned off. It wasn’t that long ago. You cannot make this shit up man. 🤦🏽&zwj;♂️134914@rinkside How in the hell do you forget that you already took part in a pride night, and wore a jersey which was auctioned off. It wasn’t that long ago. You cannot make this shit up man. 🤦🏽&zwj;♂️Shayna@hayyyshayyy@rinkside I'm thinking and praying for his memory skills6092@rinkside I'm thinking and praying for his memory skillsElliot Zovighian@ElliotZovighian@rinkside @davehydesports Who cares? He ca do what he wants.12@rinkside @davehydesports Who cares? He ca do what he wants.Barry Rothman@BarryARothman@rinkside For just the simple fact that both Staal brothers didn’t participate in warm-ups, is reason enough to have benched them.431@rinkside For just the simple fact that both Staal brothers didn’t participate in warm-ups, is reason enough to have benched them.jay macdonald@wadayat1@rinkside @wyshynski ouuuuu someone tell him lying is also very frowned upon in his religion.2591@rinkside @wyshynski ouuuuu someone tell him lying is also very frowned upon in his religion.Thierry Côté@tcote@rinkside @wyshynski They even auctioned it off (winning bid: $750).108885@rinkside @wyshynski They even auctioned it off (winning bid: $750). https://t.co/NBv4NWwMfXAndrew@MontrealAcadien@rinkside @paddle_down He probably thought it was retro night26@rinkside @paddle_down He probably thought it was retro nightgeoff@gk2252@rinkside For a Christian, he seems to have zero problem lying.94617@rinkside For a Christian, he seems to have zero problem lying.AZ@AZ_NYIsles@rinkside That Montreal Pride jersey is pretty nice looking. Maybe he doesn't like the Florida one.14@rinkside That Montreal Pride jersey is pretty nice looking. Maybe he doesn't like the Florida one.Michael Pagani@MichaelPagani@rinkside Caught in 4k📸1@rinkside Caught in 4k📸How has Eric Staal performed this season?Eric Staal has performed decently this season. The 38-year-old forward has appeared in 62 games for the Panthers this season and has managed to accumulate 25 points, totalling 13 goals and 12 assists.While his team, the Florida Panthers (36-29-7) have been a fluctuating member for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They suffered a huge 6-2 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.The team is currently three points behind the New York Islanders in the East Wild Card. They will play the New York Rangers on Saturday, March 25th.

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