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Canadian Anchor Has a Total Meltdown over NHL Player's Refusal to Participate in Pride Night

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  January 19, 2023 3:25 PM

As a New York Rangers fan, I’m not one to come to the defense of any of my Metropolitan division rivals, but the hubbub over Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov has ventured into absurd limits. The Flyers played the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday, Pride Night, where the rainbow tape was broken out—you know the deal. It was a night to celebrate inclusivity, something the Left pushes with the barrel of a gun or a woke mob behind them. Provorov, a Russian Orthodox Christian, eschewed participation, which is his right. You’d think this man gave the Nazi salute with the reactions from the Left. To be inclusive, all must participate remains Orwellian, but that’s beside the point. Everyone who isn’t mind-broken by liberalism has moved on with their lives. There were no riots in Philadelphia after the game; get over it. 

We have Canadian broadcasters saying that the league must do something about this—no, they don’t. Some say Provorov should return to Russia, which is grossly xenophobic. There is this religion, liberals—and billions of people are followers. The secularists are not the majority, nor have they ever been the majority at any point in the history of human civilization. This event isn’t the hill to die on, and a host of NHL hosts and reporters are just beclowning themselves, throwing a tantrum over some rainbow tape (via Fox News): 


On Tuesday night, Philadelphia Flyers' Ivan Provorov refused to wear a gay pride warm-up jersey on the team's Pride Night, citing religious beliefs. 

Provorov's move has garnered plenty of criticism, even by the NHL's own reporters. 

On Wednesday's edition of "NHL Now" on the NHL Network, senior reporter E.J. Hradek gave Provorov, who is Russian, an ultimatum.

"Ivan Provorov can get on a plane any day he wants and go back to a place where he feels more comfortable, take less money and get on with his life that way if it's that problematic for him …" Hradek said. "If this is that much of a problem for him, to maybe assimilate into his group of teammates, and in the community and here in this country, that's OK. Listen, you can feel any way you want. But the beauty is, if it bothers you that much, there's always a chance to leave, go back to where you feel more comfortable — I understand there's a conflict of sorts going on over there, maybe get involved."

First, I’m not a fan of any of these events. Franchises have fan appreciation days, though not all go according to plan; the New York Giants offered a free medium soda on such day and were roundly and deservedly mocked for that promotion. If we’re going to have nights like this, then we need to have Asian night, black night, Muslim night, and white people night. I want to watch some hockey—I don’t give a baker’s $%^& about the demographics of the fan base. But I also understand that this was a moment the Left was thirsting for in a Russian hockey player refusing to participate in pride night. It allows them to wallow in their favorite grievance pools. Russia is the hot tub of grievances for the Left, so that was the perfect accelerant.

Everyone, relax.

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