Image Credit: Screenshot 
The New York Islanders will not be donning rainbow jerseys in their game against the Vancouver Canucks for the NHL Pride Night on Thursday.
As noted by the New York Post, the Islanders have never worn the rainbow jerseys as part of its organizational policy against specialized warmups. In fact, up to this point, the team has only worn jerseys mandated by the league, namely, Hockey Fights Cancer, Military, and St. Patrick’s Day. That said, the team will not even go as far to wear “rainbow tape in warmups, another common theme in Pride nights throughout the league,” according to the Post.
The team will still be donating to the LGBT Network and New York Gay Hockey Association along with “a series of other initiatives including Pride branding on their advertising boards and on the team’s social and digital platforms.”
NHL Pride Nights became a hot topic of conversation earlier this year when Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to participate in his team’s Pride Night due to his orthodox Christian faith, sparking outrage from leftists who proceeded to accuse him of bigotry and homophobia. However, the Philadelphia Flyers kept him in the lineup, and the team even went on to win the game against the Anaheim Ducks.
“I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices,” he said after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.”