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Montreal Canadiens: League Chooses Not To Use Specialty Warmup Jerserys

By Ken MacMillan

Apr 6, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman (6) skates in a Pride Night jersey during the warmup period before the game against the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman (6) skates in a Pride Night jersey during the warmup period before the game against the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Montreal Canadiens take part in all kinds of fundraisers and awareness campaigns in the run of a normal NHL season. With such a large following and an enormous platform, it has always been a huge success.

A lot of times this includes a special jersey being worn during warmup that would then be auctioned off following, or during, the game online. The proceeds for the jersey sales would then go towards a local charity that could of course use the funds for their cause.

These jerseys were often worn for occasions like Remembrance Day, Hockey Fight Cancer night, Military Appreciation, Pride nights, Movember campaigns etc.

The league has been doing this for years and raising thousands of dollars each year for worthy causes. They have chosen to ban these jerseys in the 2023-24 season and will not longer have players wear any jerseys during warmup except their regular game jersey that they would wear after puck drop.

The only reason the league would do this is because there were players who refused to wear pride jerseys during warmup last year. Eric Staal, formerly of the Montreal Canadiens, wore one with the Canadiens two years ago, but claimed his religous beliefs made it impossible for him to do so this year.

Ivan Provorov did the same thing with the Philadelphia Flyers, with the Russian defenseman going so far as to imply there could be repercussions in his home country if he were to wear a pride jersey.

The league, instead of enforcing a rule where players have to take part in fundraisers for cancer, military and pride nights, instead chose to just ban them all and avoid any possible conflict with the few players who refused to wear a jersey with a rainbow on it for 16 minutes while they skate around in circles and blast slapshots at their own goalie.

And it will cost some very worthy causes thousands of dollars per year as well as awareness for people who are fans and participants in the game, but feel like outsiders in a hockey rink.

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