Canadiens’ Denis Gurianov opts out of warmups during team’s Pride night

Canadiens forward Denis Gurianov will not wear Montreal’s themed warmup jersey for Pride night, citing family reasons.

Gurianov became the seventh NHL player to recently opt out of wearing the Pride-themed jerseys on teams’ Pride nights. 

The Canadiens are scheduled to wear the jerseys Thursday night during a pregame skate prior to a game against the Washington Capitals.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said it was hard to comment on Gurianov’s decision because he’d never walked a day in his shoes.

“I think anybody can say you’d always try to protect your family, so I have a tough time judging that,” St. Louis said. “(Gurianov) is a great kid. It’s tough.”

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A Russian law restricts “propaganda” about LGBTQ+ people, including in advertising, media and the arts.

Russian Ivan Provorov of the Flyers, the Sharks’ James Reimer and brothers Eric and Marc Staal all cited religious beliefs for refusing to take part in warmups in rainbow-colored jerseys. 

Ilya Lyubushkin said he would not participate because of the law in Russia, where he was born. And Andrei Kuzmenko, another Russian player, decided not to wear the special uniform after discussions with his family.

Despite Gurianov sitting out, St. Louis said the night was important for the franchise.

“We’re all on this planet. We should love each other, and tonight’s one of those nights,” he said. “We, the Montreal Canadiens, really care about this night, and so do I. It’s a great night.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.