Who is Ilya Lyubushkin? Everything you need to know about the Sabres defenseman who refused to wear pride jersey

Ilya Lyubushkin, a 28-year-old defenseman from Moscow, Russia, made headlines recently when he elected not to participate in the Buffalo Sabres' pregame warmup on the team's Pride night.

Players were expected to wear rainbow-colored jerseys in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lyubushkin cited an anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Russia as his reasoning for opting out.

Lyubushkin has family in Moscow and visits regularly in the offseason. He is not the only Russian player to decline participation in warmups with Pride-themed jerseys. Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers, James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks and Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers all refused to take part, citing religious beliefs.

The New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks also opted not to have players wear Pride jerseys at all. However, the Blackhawks and Lyubushkin specifically cited the Russian law as their reasoning.

The law passed last year in Russia expanded the restrictions on supporting LGBTQIA+ rights in the country, making it difficult for athletes to express their support for the community without fear of punishment or backlash. While some players have chosen to speak out and participate in Pride nights, others have chosen to remain silent or abstain from wearing rainbow jerseys.

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, an American player, expressed understanding of Lyubushkin's decision, acknowledging the sensitivity of the topic and the unique psychology of Russian players.

Okposo said (source ESPN):

"We don't understand. We're frankly not capable of understanding because we haven't been there."

Despite not participating in warmups, Lyubushkin is expected to play against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The Sabres changed their social media avatar to feature their logo encircled by a rainbow-colored outline in support of Pride night.

Ilya Lyubushkin's special assist performance in the game vs NYR.

On March 11, 2023, Ilya Lyubushkin picked up an assist in the Sabres' 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Rangers. At the 7:52 mark of the second period, Lyubushkin delivered a cross-ice pass to Jeff Skinner, who put the puck in the back of the net to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead.

This was not an isolated incident for Ilya Lyubushkin, as he has now picked up an assist in two consecutive games. This brings his point total to 14 in 58 games played so far this season. Along with his offensive contributions, Lyubushkin has also been credited with 72 blocks and 81 hits, showing his ability to contribute in all areas of the ice.