Flyers coach John Tortorella defended Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov's decision to cite religious beliefs as his reason to boycott the team's pregame Pride celebration.
“Provy did nothing wrong,” Tortorella said Thursday. “Just because you don't agree with his decision doesn't mean he did anything wrong.”
The Flyers, led by players James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton, have been staunch supporters of the LGBTQ community and launched a program in support of LGBTQ youth in the greater Philadelphia area. The Flyers also hosted a pregame skate for local LGBTQ youth, and Laughton and van Riemsdyk met after the game with about 50 people from the community.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday that few outliers, such as Provorov, undermine the league's overall commitment to inclusion. “But as I went through it all, who am I to push my feelings on to someone else. Same situation here.”
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