Jets show hockey truly is for everyone Full participation in Pride Night a victory before the puck is dropped
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/04/2023 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
On the eve of their biggest game of the year, the Winnipeg Jets racked up what might be their most important win of the season. One that has nothing to do with hockey, but everything to do with humanity.
The decision to fully participate in Wednesday’s Pride Night activities, including all players wearing special themed jerseys during the warmup prior to facing the Calgary Flames, sends the kind of message that far too many players and teams have either opted to temper or eliminate completely in recent weeks,
Demonstrating that hockey really is for everyone, which is the foundation for the annual event, shouldn’t be difficult. Unfortunately, we’ve seen it completely go off the rails in some markets, which is why Winnipeg’s approach should be applauded.
“We arrived at that decision as a team,” alternate captain Adam Lowry told a larger-than-usual throng of reporters following Tuesday’s practice. “It’s important. We want to make sure our rink, our facility is a welcoming place. Everyone can feel included.”
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS “It’s important. We want to make sure our rink, our facility is a welcoming place. Everyone can feel included,” Adam Lowry said.
Bravo.
To be clear, this wasn’t some mandate from True North ownership or Jets management, but rather a player-driven initiative. That, folks, is what leadership and accountability really look like.
“Diversity and inclusion are certainly important,” Lowry continued.
“You want everyone, whether they are playing the game of hockey or a fan of the game of hockey, to feel comfortable being who they are, what they believe in, their sexual orientation. I think visibility matters.”
It sure does.
That means a player like Vladislav Namestnikov, who was born in Russia, won’t be taking the Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia Flyers) Andrei Kuzmenko (Vancouver Canucks) 0r Ilya Lyubushkin (Buffalo Sabres) route and citing what have been proven to be flimsy, if not downright bogus political reasons back home as grounds to hide in the dressing room. Good for him.
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There is plenty of evidence to suggest there is little threat to Russian players and their families, which is why skaters such as Namestnikov (and numerous others around the league already this year) have done so. To suggest otherwise is just a smoke screen.
It also means a player like Mark Scheifele, who is as devout a Christian as you’ll find and regularly speaks of “God’s plan,” won’t be taking the completely ill-informed James Reimer (San Jose Sharks) or Eric and Marc Staal (Florida Panthers) route and citing religious reasons for declining to appear in the warmup. Good for him.
These excuses fall short for several reasons, and appear all the more hypocritical when you see a player like Eric Staal previously wear a Pride jersey (with the Montreal Canadiens). The Bible certainly hasn’t changed since he was skating with the Habs.
It also means the Jets won’t go the route of teams like the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues and try to shield their players from the spotlight by cowardly changing plans at the last-minute. Good for them.
Around the room on pride night participation:
“We never thought of this, at least not in the seventies and eighties and nineties. (Wednesday) is a perfect example of how we’re growing.”
— Jets head coach Rick Bowness
“I think, being a role model in the community, as someone with a platform, if there’s people that look up to you, you want them to feel comfortable as a fan and as a person. I hope that others feel the same way.”
— Jets forward Adam Lowry
“We never thought of this, at least not in the seventies and eighties and nineties. (Wednesday) is a perfect example of how we’re growing.”
— Jets head coach Rick Bowness
“I think, being a role model in the community, as someone with a platform, if there’s people that look up to you, you want them to feel comfortable as a fan and as a person. I hope that others feel the same way.”
— Jets forward Adam Lowry
“I can’t speak to other teams. Other teams have their own situations going on and everything else. But it’s nice to have that unity in the locker room and we talked about it and it’s something that we think is important and want to support (Wednesday) night and make it a great night.”
— Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey
“You know, you have to respect everybody’s view. And you may not agree with it, but it is what it is and I don’t really think there’s more to it than that. I just know my beliefs and how I was raised and how I want to raise my family and that’s why I’m happy to be a part of the night.”
— Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo
“It’s very important, and I’m glad to hear that,” coach Rick Bowness said Tuesday on the “all-in” approach.
“Listen, we all love the game. It’s the greatest sport there is, and the more inclusive we can make it for everyone, get more kids playing, more people playing, more fans watching — the more inclusive we can make it, the better off. It’s a great opportunity to grow the game. Keep growing our game. That’s the most important thing.”
To be clear, there is no hidden agenda at play here, despite what you might hear in some quarters. Nobody is being forced to be anything they aren’t.
Pride Night is about showing a section of the fan base that has routinely been marginalized and discriminated against that they have a place in the sport. That they are seen, heard, appreciated and valued. Nothing more.
“For me, I’ve got friends that are in the community so for me it’s really important,” said Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo.
“I know the struggles they’ve been through and to make it inclusive for everybody it’s very important for me, so I’m really happy that we’re doing it.”
The jerseys, along with rainbow-coloured stick tape, will be auctioned off in conjunction with Pride month between June 1-11 at auctions.nhl.com, with all proceeds supporting the You Can Play Project and the Rainbow Resource Centre.
Four organizations will have booths set up during the concourse to educate fans about services and resources in the community. They include the Rainbow Resource Centre, the You Can Play Project, Pride Winnipeg and The Other Skaters zine.
Rainbow Harmony Project, a Winnipeg choir for the LGBTTQ+ community and its allies, will sing the national anthem.
“I know the struggles they’ve been through and to make it inclusive for everybody it’s very important for me, so I’m really happy that we’re doing it.”–Dylan DeMelo
“We’re a top-class organization here and I think the fans are going to enjoy it, everybody’s going to have a good night,” said DeMelo.
Pride Nights have been happening for several years around the NHL, going off without a hitch or hint of controversy.
As soon as Provorov was given an escape route, however, that seemingly opened the door for a handful of other bigots to bail. Fortunately, they remain in the overwhelming minority, just as the number of very vocal critics who have hijacked social media threads and message boards with their vitriol have done so.
It’s best to not give them platform, allowing their ugly views to be shouted into the abyss. Unless you’ve walked a mile in the shoes of someone who has had to hide their true self for fear of repercussions, you’re best served by listening and learning.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Alternate captain Josh Morrissey: Everybody should feel comfortable coming the the rink.
“I truly believe hockey is for everybody and everybody should feel comfortable coming to the rink, as a spectator, player, fan, anything like that,” said Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey.
“I just feel strongly about supporting it and believing that everyone should be supported in what they do.”
Not surprisingly, players on the Jets were hesitant to slam any peers on other teams, but Lowry made a great point on Tuesday.
“I think with this controversy the story has become much bigger,” he said.
“You look at how many people are here covering it today. Sometimes you need some more ears, you need some more eyes on the conversation. I think with that controversy, that’s what happens. I think it’s going to continue evolving. Obviously we want to make it a welcoming place in our arena and our city. But there’s still a ways to go.”
There certainly is. But at least, here in Winnipeg, they said all the right things. More importantly, they’ll be doing all the right things. That’s a victory in my books.
mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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History
Updated on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 9:19 PM CDT: Fixes typo
