The NHL's latest indiscretions with related to
Pride Nights have garnered serious criticism from fans, writers, and even players. When defenseman
Ivan Provorov opted out of the Philadelphia Flyers' scheduled event, the media storm which followed got ugly in a hurry.
The concern from critics was that Provorov's behavior would embolden his colleagues to follow suit. Those concerns were realized when the New York Rangers essentially scrapped the entire theme altogether.
An official statement from the club reads: "Our organization respects the LGBTQ+ community and we are proud to bring attention to important local community organizations as part of another great Pride Night. In keeping with our organization's core values, we support everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs."
The fierce divide of the subject is prevalent everywhere; between fans, between players, between everyone so it seems. On one hand, it's a freedom of expression issue, while on the other it's about acceptance.
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Montreal Canadiens defenseman
Jordan Harris, in a recent interview with
La Presse, expressed concern over this new direction NHL clubs are taking, with no kickback from the league.
"We preach that hockey is for everyone, but is it really? The actions of the Rangers and Provorov show that there are many things that happen behind closed doors and that ensure that acceptance, in hockey, is not for everyone."
Harris, 22, is in his first full season in the NHL. The Massachussetts native acknowledged that hockey is a predominantly 'old school' sport reserved for families of privilege.
As such, Harris iterated that it's up to players like him to seize the opportunity to speak truth to power, so that "if young people look at us, I want them to be able to say: I can do it too."
"I think it would lead to more acceptance. But I also think it will take time."
Harris is described by his teammates as poised, calm, and confident. Given his readiness to speak his mind, it won't be long before he finds himself in a leadership position with the Habs.
With 11 points in 47 games, the Northeastern University product has thrived in sheltered minutes with Montreal. Harris uses his strong skating and high hockey IQ to execute strong transition plays and keep his team out of trouble.
There's no reason to suggest he has anything but a long playing career ahead of him.
Source:
La PresseADS
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