On January 17, the Philadelphia Flyers celebrated their Flyers Pride Night. The event culminated in players taking the ice for warm-ups in custom jerseys, their numbers decorated with rainbow stripes, before changing into standard uniforms for the game itself.
Yet one of the twenty-one members of the Flyers roster was mysteriously missing from warm-ups: defenseman and alternate captain Ivan Provorov. Confusion regarding a potential injury or healthy scratch was deepened when Provorov appeared on the bench for the first period as though nothing was amiss. He went on to play more than twenty-two minutes during the 5-2 win against Anaheim, more than any other skater on the Flyers roster.
After the game, Provorov had very little to say about his decision to boycott the warm-up.
“I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Provorov, 26, is a Russian native and member of the Russian Orthodox Church. He has played hockey in North America for more than a decade, including six professional seasons with the Flyers.
The Flyers swiftly released a statement in the aftermath of the game, addressing Provorov’s decision:
“The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community,” it stated.
“Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community.”
In previous years, the Flyers have opted to celebrate Pride Night by providing players with optional rainbow-colored tape for their sticks. This year, according to The Athletic reporter Charlie O’Connor, several players wanted to take the initiative a step forward. Veterans Scott Laughton and James van Riemsdyk invited more than fifty LGBTQ+ fans to take the ice with them prior to the game for an informal skate. In his comments to the media, Laughton attempted to shift the focus.
“It was a great night,” he insisted, “Amazing initiative, and something that’s been close to me for a long time. I know [van Riemsdyk] too. So I’m gonna leave it at that.”
The incident received negative reactions from many in the hockey community, as well as confusion over why he was allowed to play in the game despite missing warm-ups. Matt Larkin, a journalist for the Daily Faceoff, wrote on Twitter that Provorov playing was “a slap in the face.” Prominent hockey commentator Gord Miller tweeted that, while Provorov had the right to refuse participation in Pride Night, the Flyers should have reacted by benching him. “Freedom of expression doesn’t give you freedom from the consequences of your words or actions,” he concluded.
In a statement the day after the game, the National Hockey League clarified that each of the league’s thirty-two teams are given the freedom to determine their own Pride Night initiatives, in addition to other special events like Military Appreciation Night. The statement added: “Players are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues.”
Philadelphia Flyers coach John Torterella later confirmed that he never considered benching Provorov over the boycott, in part because of the NHL’s policy on individual expression. “He’s being true to himself and to his religion,” Torterella noted. “That’s one thing I respect about [Provorov]: he’s always true to himself.”
The next day, Torterella reiterated that the decision to play Provorov was made collectively with other members of the Flyers organization, including General Manager Chuck Fletcher.
“Why would I bench him? Because of a decision he’s making on his beliefs and religion?” Tortella questioned. “It turned out to be a great night for Pride Night. Players were involved. The building was filled, there was awareness, everything.”
Tortorella, 64, is a controversial and outspoken figure in the hockey community, known for his conflict with the media and ‘old school’ approach to coaching. During the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where he served as the head coach of Team USA, Tortorella famously declared: “If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game.” The event occurred just weeks after quarterback Colin Kaepernick began abstaining from the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality.
After the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, Tortorella changed his stance on benching players. He elaborated on his change of heart during a press conference on 19 January, two days after Provorov’s boycott.
“My feelings toward any type of protest to the flag during the anthem… it disgusts me. [But] I can’t push those feelings onto someone else. I was wrong in saying that back then. Who am I to push my feelings onto someone else?”
Tortorella’s perspective aligns with the NHL’s current stance on the issue, according to Charlie O’Connor’s reporting at The Athletic. The league’s unwillingness to punish Provorov for his boycott stems from a broader desire to respect individual player opinions on other themed events, including Military Appreciation Night. On January 19, league commissioner Gary Bettman elaborated on their position.
“Individual players are going to make decisions and follow their beliefs,” Bettman noted. “[But] when you look at all of our players and the commitments that they’ve made to social causes and making our game welcoming and inclusive, let’s focus on the seven hundred that embrace it and not one or two that may have some issues for their own personal reasons.”
Provorov’s case is indicative of a broader trend in American sport, where conflicts between athletes and their team’s social initiatives have become increasingly more common.
In June 2022, five members of the Tampa Bay Rays removed rainbow-colored patches from their uniform during the baseball team’s Pride Night. In Florida, where the team is based, it is illegal for children to receive classroom education on gender or sexual identity before the age of nine, a controversial policy known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill’.
The following month, in July 2022, National Women’s Soccer League player Jaelene Daniels did not play on her team’s Pride Night after refusing to wear a Pride-themed jersey. Her team, the North Carolina Courage, said in a statement at the time: “While we’re disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself.”
In the United States, where freedom of speech and religion are enshrined in federal law and collective consciousness, conflicts between athletes and their teams reflect broader cultural dilemmas. What behavior can an employer demand of their employee? Are corporate-mandated Pride events a symbol of cultural change or forced performative activism? How do individuals navigate America’s tenuous and polarized political landscape in their everyday lives?
Provorov’s boycott – and the outpouring of passion both for and against his actions – speak to the complexities of these questions. The answers are unlikely to be determined by athletes or their organisations any time soon.
Image ‘Ivan Provorov from Capitals vs. Flyers at Capital One Arena, May 4, 2020‘ by All-Pro Reels Photography is licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0.