James Reimer REFUSES to wear LGBTQ-themed warmup jersey for NHL Pride Night
James Reimer, San Jose Sharks goalie, comes out as the second player in NHL to refuse wearing LGBTQ-themed jerseys after Ivan Provrov
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Credits: HockeyFeed
The issue of some NHL players not wearing the LGBTQ-themed warmup jersey has been much contentious in the sport recently. Previously, Philadelphia Flyers’ Ivan Provorov had sparked controversy by declining to wear the jersey in January. In a similar fashion, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer has also declined to participate in pre-game warmup and to wear the Pride-themed jersey.
Citing religious reasons, Reimer, in his statement, said, “[I] always strived to treat everyone with respect”. He also respects the fact that members of the LGBTQ community should have equal opportunities in hockey.
Reimer stated his decision not to wear the Pride jersey on Twitter ahead of the match against the New York Islanders. Explaining himself, he says in his tweet, “In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life.”
San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer becomes the second player to refuse wearing LGBTQ-themed jersey
After the controversy stirred by Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov back in January has sparked a major conversation about the accepting of the LGBTQ community within the NHL community. What may come as triggering and homophobic to some people, perhaps that might not be the case as these players just wanted to be firm with their religious ideals and values.
In his statement, Reimer says, “For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian — not just in title, but in how I choose to live my life daily. I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and follow him.”
In conclusion to his statement on Twitter, Reimer stresses his religious values and ideals based on the Bible’s teachings. He also emphasizes the fact that the LGBTQ community should have equal representation in every place, including NHL and hockey.
Supporting their player’s decision, the Sharks, in a separate statement, stated, “We acknowledge and accept the rights of individuals to express themselves, including how or whether they choose to express their beliefs, regardless of the cause or topic.”
While these incidents might be recent in the case of the NHL, it is not recent in sport at all. Before this, Paris-Saint Germain player Idrissa Gueye sat out of a match in 2022 wherein the players wore rainbow-coloured jerseys to denounce homophobic discrimination. This move by Gueye sparked major controversy amongst fans, and left the soccer community divided on the matter.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)