Eric Staal denies ever wearing Pride jersey, despite clear evidence he has
The pride jersey controversy in the NHL took another turn Thursday night as Eric and Marc Staal, brothers who play for the Florida Panthers, refused to wear the symbolic sweater during warm-ups. Both cited their religious beliefs as their reason for the refusal.
The Staal brothers certainly aren't the first to say no to pride jerseys, but there is an interesting twist in this one. Following Thursday night's game, Eric Staal was explaining his decision and told reporters it's not something he's ever done before.
It appears Eric either forgot that he wore one just two years ago during a short stint with the Montreal Canadiens, in the season the team went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
If the photo isn't enough, here's the video that clearly shows Staal wearing a pride jersey while coming out of the tunnel on May 21st, 2021.
Staal choosing to exercise his religious beliefs in this situation is something he is entitled to, I don't think anyone is arguing that here. That said, either his memory isn't that great any more, his beliefs have changed over the course of the last two years, or he decided to have selective memory.
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 4, 2026
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