Natalia Chi
WASHINGTON — A jersey “is a jersey,” but Pride Night means much more than that, Blackhawks defenseman Conor Murphy said Thursday.
In response to the Hawks scrapping plans to wear their usual rainbow Pride jersey for Sunday’s Pride Night warm-up, Murphy shouldn’t let his disappointment with the decision overshadow the good that the event as a whole brings. emphasized.
“I can understand [why people are upset] It’s when things are announced unilaterally and then changed,” Murphy said. “But I hope people understand that we are all supporting them.
“Whether it’s someone in the gay community or someone else…everyone feels welcome in our arena and wants to see us and play even a part of the game. That’s the big message that we hope remains true.”
Murphy, the Hawks’ longest-serving player in the absence of Jonathan Towes, told The Athletic on March 8 that he is looking forward to wearing the Pride jersey.
However, a source close to the Hawks told The Sun-Times on Wednesday that the organization won’t wear the jersey this year due to safety concerns for players with Russian families, where new laws prohibit them from supporting LGBTQ relationships. said he had decided to
Sources said the decision was made by the front office, not the players, and coach Luke Richardson told three Hawks players of Russian heritage on Thursday to “make a decision before the organization gets there.” I confirmed that it was dropped.
“We are there together [those who are upset]’ said Richardson. The organization is as disappointed as anyone because a decision had to be made and it was a difficult one. ”
Defenseman Seth Jones, who is de facto captain in Touse’s absence, also commented on the topic on Thursday.
“It’s not all about the jersey,” Jones said. “We still have a lot going on that night. I know a lot of foundations and a lot of organizations are still in the game. [they] It was fine even if I wasn’t wearing a jersey. We heard they all did it. So we still support that cause. It hasn’t changed. ”
Murphy echoed that sentiment.
“Our organization has done a lot of great work throughout the year to support many causes in our community,” Murphy said. I have the right mind to want hockey to continue to be an inclusive sport, it’s important for children to feel and understand, I still believe in that and in our sport, our organization and our teams. Be positive.”
While the team doesn’t wear a special jersey, Sunday’s game against the Canucks saw performances by many LGBTQ groups, including the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus and the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, before the game and during the intermission. is performed.
