Manitoba

Winnipeg Jets' annual NHL Pride night will feature rainbow warm-up jerseys, hockey tape

The Winnipeg Jets will wear rainbow-themed warm-up jerseys for their annual Pride night celebration when they host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

Several players in the league have refused to wear pride-themed jerseys while warming up

Hockey players in blue and white jerseys stand on ice.
Both the pride jersey and hockey sticks will be auctioned off in June, during pride month. All proceeds from the auction will go to the You Can Play Project and Manitoa's Rainbow Resources Centre. (James Carey Lauder/USA Today Sports)

The Winnipeg Jets will wear rainbow-themed warm-up jerseys for their annual Pride night celebration when they host  the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

The jersey features the Jets logo in rainbow colours, multicoloured numbers and "Hockey Is For Everyone" patches on the shoulders. Players will also use sticks with rainbow-coloured hockey tape during warm-up.

Both the jerseys and sticks will be auctioned off during Pride month in June, with proceeds going to the You Can Play Project and Manitoba's Rainbow Resources Centre. 

Rainbow Harmony Project, a Winnipeg choir for LGBTQ people and their allies, will sing the national anthem. The announcement comes as controversy over the wearing of Pride-themed warm-up jerseys continues to circulate around the league.

Several players, including Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer, Eric and Marc Staal of the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko, have refused to take warm-up sporting the Pride-themed jerseys.