There has been a growing resistance among players in the NHL towards LGBTQ+ and Pride initiatives and programs. The most obvious has been the refusal of players or entire teams to wear pre-game warmup Pride jerseys, the most recent of which includes James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks.
https://twitter.com/user/status/1637184090708508672
https://twitter.com/user/status/1637183063900983297
Of course Reimer and the Sharks aren't the first to do this, and with the recent trend with players like Provorov and teams like Minnesota I am pretty confident this isn't going away.
I'm all about players having the right to express their opinions and views, but I would hope they would have a little foresight in what these statements and refusals actually express. Pride and LGBTQ+ weeks/nights/events coincide with the idea that hockey should be for everyone, and everyone should feel welcome in the hockey community. When a player or team refuses to participate in these events it is a fairly clear expression that this concept is untrue. That breaks my heart.
Moreover, not only do these antics distract from positive awareness, but also likely damages support for these organizations and initiatives. I would guess those jerseys generate a pretty penny in donations to improve inclusivity. And we've already seen how emboldened people have become lately by anti-LGBTQ+ movements and laws.
I can't help but wonder what a player like Luke Prokop thinks of his peers openly expressing they neither welcome him nor his sexuality. IMO, this is a trend that needs to be addressed collectively as it sure seems like it's snowballing, and the last thing the NHL needs is to be viewed as regressive.