Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008. He was also the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012.
Out hockey player Luke Prokop’s fans threw a DIY Pride Night for him and the whole team joined in
he tells ESPN. “Seeing all the fans that enjoyed the night … the night is about them, not me. It’s about being able to come to a hockey game and feel like you’re in a safe space to watch that game.”The NHL’s ongoing Pride Night debacles have dampened the league’s inclusion efforts, with multiple players refusing to wear rainbow jerseys during warmups.
Some have cited religious reasons, while others simply haven’t commented. For a few weeks, the NHL tried to blame Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws for the snubs, but one of the league’s top execs recently disproved that ridiculous notion by citing that only about 5% of NHL players are Russian.The end result: the vast majority of NHL players who have participated in Pride Night festivities and support their LGBTQ+ fans are being overshadowed by a contrarian minority.
In a statement, Prokop said players who don’t wear Pride jerseys are missing the larger point.“It’s disheartening to see some teams no longer wearing [Pride jerseys] or embracing their significance, while the focus of others has become about the players who aren’t participating rather than the meaning of the night itself,” he said.pic.twitter.com/kCYnEbcqqRThe Thunderbirds didn’t encounter any dissenters on their fan-thrown DIY Pride Night, however.
Every player put rainbow tape on their sticks during warmups, and some even kept it for the game. It should be noted that none of Prokop’s teammates are older than 20, and the youngest player on the roster is 15.
