Ahead of the Flyers’ home game against the Ducks on Tuesday, the team donned rainbow-adorned jerseys during the pregame skate as part of its Pride Night celebration. One player, though—defender Ivan Provorov—declined to join the team on the ice for warmups.
After the game, Provorov cited his religious beliefs as his reasoning for not wearing the jersey, saying that he respects other people’s choices. He also declined to elaborate further, insisting that reporters ask him questions about the game instead.
“I respect everybody and I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov said. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.