Athlete Ally Responds to Islanders Pride Boycott
February 9, 2023 — Athlete Ally responded today to news that the Islanders have become the latest National Hockey League (NHL) team to refuse to wear Pride jerseys as planned during their Pride night.
“We’ll say it again: inclusivity is a value,” said Athlete Ally’s Director of Communications Joanna Hoffman. “Teams have the power to incorporate their values into how they show up for the communities that love and support them. We need to see the Islanders, and hockey as a whole, do better.”
This follows recent events of Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov refusing to wear a Pride jersey, and the NY Rangers failing to wear Pride jerseys. In a quote provided to Athlete Ally in advance of last weekend’s NHL All Star Game, Athlete Ally Ambassador and former NHL player Georges Laraque said: “I support the LGBTQI+ community because I believe we all need to embrace and respect each other as equals. As fans and players gather to watch the All Star Game, I want to say loud and clear that hockey should be a sport for everybody. We need to see greater education, allyship and support both on and off the ice.”