The St. Louis Blues have announced their intention to opt out of wearing Pride jerseys for the upcoming Tuesday game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite the decision not to have the players in the specialwarmup jerseys, the team has planned a host of other celebrations for their Pride Night festivities. As part of their commitment to inclusivity, the Blues will feature Pride-themed pucks and Pride Night programming throughout the Enterprise Center.
A report from The Athletic suggests that the reasoning behind the decision is to “put the focus on the positive things it’s doing to support and affirm the LGBTQIA+ community”. The Blues President and CEO, Chris Zimmerman, has been vocal in his support for the community, saying that they are “committed to celebrating and welcoming all individuals as valued members of the Blues family – regardless of how they identify or whom they love.”
The lack of the jerseys may be a part of a trend of other NHL teams and players opting out of donning the jerseys. Just last week, Ilya Lyubushkin of the Buffalo Sabres and Andrei Kuzmenko of the Vancouver Canucks have also declined to wear them for various reasons. However, even without the players wearing the jerseys, the St. Louis Blues have indicated their support for their Pride Night activities and for their friends within the LGBTQIA+ community.
The company mentioned in this article is St. Louis Blues, a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Blues are owned by Tom Stillman and Stanley Cup champions 11 times, with their most recent win being in 2019. The team is part of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The person mentioned in this article is Chris Zimmerman, the President and CEO of the St. Louis Blues. Zimmerman is an ice hockey executive with 25 years of experience in the business. He has held positions with several sports teams Including the Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues. Under his leadership, the St. Louis Blues have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2019. He is also committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans of the team, especially for fans from the LGBTQIA+ community.