WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets will wear rainbow-themed warm-up jerseys for their annual Pride night celebration when they host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
The jersey features the Jets logo in rainbow colours, multicoloured numbers and “Hockey Is For Everyone” patches on the shoulders. Players will also use sticks with rainbow-coloured hockey tape during warm-up.
Both the jerseys and sticks will be auctioned off during Pride month in June, with proceeds going to the You Can Play Project and Manitoba’s Rainbow Resources Centre.
Rainbow Harmony Project, a Winnipeg choir for LGBTQ people and their allies, will sing the national anthem.
The announcement comes as controversy over the wearing of Pride-themed warm-up jerseys continues to circulate around the league.
Several players, including Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer, Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko, have refused to take warm-up sporting the Pride-themed jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.
