"Realized quickly that we have some education to do"- NHL players' denial to wear pride jersey took Marty Walsh by surprise

Pat Walsh was faced with a sensitive subject when he started working for the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA). The controversy was regarding certain NHL players' decision to refuse donning Pride Night jerseys during warmups.

Walsh claims that there was a small percentage of players who gave various explanations, such as political or religious associations in their native countries. Pat Walsh cleared out the doubts by saying:

"It was probably less than a percent of players that didn't want to wear the [Pride] jerseys for whatever reason. Political reasons for players from different countries, religious religions. I don't think anyone said, 'I'm not wearing the jersey cause I don't believe in gay rights.' I think they've said it's because of religious beliefs or political back home beliefs."

Ivan Provorov, a player for the Philadelphia Flyers, was one famous example of an NHL player being reluctant to wear the pride jersey citing his religious convictions.

He played in the actual game, though he didn't take part in the warm-ups. Walsh was taken by surprise by Provorov’s decision, as he expressed:

"The day before I got voted in by the executive board was when the first player said they weren't going to wear the jersey. It just kind of caught me by surprise a little bit. I realized quickly that we have some education to do here."

Curiosity among hockey fans further arose when prominent players like James Reimer, Eric Staal, and Marc Staal refused to wear pride jerseys during warm-ups for their religious beliefs.

The Staal brothers refused to have ever worn the specialty jerseys despite being photographed in those before.

Connor McDavid opposed the pride jersey ban by NHL

The captain of the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid, expressed his disappointment with the NHL's most recent policy change on banning pride jerseys.

After his team's amazing achievement of winning the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award for the third and fourth times respectively, his opposition to the new policies took fans by storm.

As a result of the league's decision, players are no longer permitted to wear customized jerseys, including those created especially for pride nights.

Connor McDavid used the occasion to voice his opinions on the subject, emphasizing how disappointed he was with the new regulation. He portrayed the Edmonton Oilers' continued dedication to sponsoring and taking part in unique-themed events that highlight diversity and inclusivity despite this setback.