(LifeSiteNews) — The Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) hosted a “Celebrating Pride” game earlier this week—and unveiled a new Oilers Pride logo to boot. The logo features “Oilers” in gauchely colored letters, a rainbow, and a teardrop with the color of the transgender flag, and is featured on a wide range of “Pride” merchandise that is available for purchase online.
“The core theme of my design is expression, encouraging individuals to openly express their authentic selves – embracing love, creativity, and individuality as the core elements of Pride,” stated Matthew Brownoff, the graphic designer who created the logo.
“My typographic interpretation of the Oilers logo is meant to be fun and bold, with the core of this logo concept being inspired by pop art. Bold colours and graphic elements are used to speak to the representation, inclusivity, and love within the 2SLGBTQl+ community in Edmonton.”
Tim Shipton of OEG Sports & Entertainment told CTV News that the Oilers’ commitment to the LGBT movement is essential: “Through events like Pride Cup, the Oilers Celebrating Pride game and organizations like Pride Tape that was established right here in Edmonton, we continue to work towards a future where everyone in Oil Country can belong in the game of hockey, and be proud of who they are and who they love.”
The LGBT movement has worked hard to conquer the hyper-masculine world of professional sports, and they were particularly successful in Canada. In the United States, some NHL teams have dropped the “Pride” antics after players refused to participate. Sports commentators melted down in 2023 after a Russian Orthodox player Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers declined to wear a “Pride” jersey.
Many called for his firing, but Provorov quietly ignored them—as did the team’s management. Like many other players less inclined to speak out, Provorov wasn’t interested in engaging in sexual politics—and resolutely refused to do so when pushed to discuss his decision—but also did not want to physically wear the logo of an ideology hostile to his religion on his body.
The presumptuousness of the LGBT movement is that their demands have nothing to do with “live and let live.” Their demands are all-encompassing: Wear our flag on your back or you’re a bigot. Mere weeks after Provorov’s stand, Sportsnet ran another headline: “Minnesota Wild latest NHL team to not wear Pride jerseys on Pride Night.” The editorial warned darkly that spurred on by Provorov’s example, an increasing number of NHL players could decline to wear the LGBT movement’s jersey.
Indeed, several Canadians have pushed back against these demands—but not in Canada. James Reimer, a goaltender with the San Jose Sharks (now with the Anaheim Ducks) from Morweena, Manitoba, declined to wear a “Pride” jersey in March 2023, stating: “I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible.” Wearing the jersey, he stated, ran conflicted with his deeply held beliefs.
That same month, Eric and Marc Staal of Thunder Bay, Ontario, refused to wear “Pride” jerseys during a Florida Panthers warm-up game. The brothers released a statement together: “We feel that by us wearing a Pride jersey, it goes against our Christian beliefs.” Interestingly, when Eric had played for the Montreal Canadiens, he had worn a “Pride” jersey—but while in Canada, had clearly felt he could not speak out.
If any players on the Edmonton Oilers have objections to using their bodies as billboards for the LGBT movement, they haven’t said so. There is immense pressure on players to go along to get along, and taking a stand comes with professional costs. That, of course, is precisely what the LGBT movement intends.
