The San Jose Sharks are hosting Pride Night at the SAP Center on Saturday, but their goaltender will not be included in the celebration.
James Reimer announced on Twitter that he will not be wearing a Pride pre-match jersey ahead of the game against the New York Islanders.
Reimer cites his religious beliefs.
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James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks takes over during warm up practice at the SAP Center on March 11, 2023 in San Jose, Calif. (Andreea Cardani/NHLI via Getty Images)
“For all of my 13 years in the NHL, I have been a Christian not just in title but in the way I live my life on a daily basis. I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and in response asks me to love everyone and follow him,” he said via the team’s Twitter account. “I have none in my heart Hate for anyone and I have always endeavored to treat everyone I meet with respect and kindness.
“In this particular case, I am choosing not to support something that contradicts my personal beliefs, which are based on the Bible, the supreme authority in my life.”
Reimer’s decision seemingly contradicts the evening’s theme, but the sharks said in a separate statement They “recognize and accept individuals’ rights to express themselves, including how they express their beliefs, regardless of the cause or issue.”
The Sharks tweeted Saturday that they would “offer information and facts about it LGBTQIA+ issues‘ instead of ‘our normal game content’ throughout Saturday’s competition.
“We hope this content will serve as a reminder that there are more important issues than goals, highlights and wins,” the team said in its tweet.
The San Jose Sharks logo on a jersey during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at the SAP Center on October 4, 2019 in San Jose, Calif. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SHARKS’ TWITTER ACCOUNT SEND “LGBTQIA+ INFORMATION” INSTEAD OF “NORMAL GAME CONTENT” ON THE TEAM’S PRIDE NIGHT
“Hockey isn’t for everyone until everyone is comfortable playing, working, or being a fan of this incredible game.”
Reimer isn’t the first NHL player to avoid Pride jerseys while warming up. The Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers cited his Russian Orthodox religion as a reason for not participating in warm-up exercises at his team’s Pride Night when the rest of the team wore LGBTQ jerseys.
The New York Rangers promoted its Pride Night in January, saying players would wrap duct tape on sticks with pride, but that plan, too, was scrapped with no explanation. The same thing happened with the Minnesota Wild earlier this month.
Goaltender James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks guards the net during first action against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Center on March 6, 2023 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
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The Sharks are 19-36-14 and their 52 points are the second-lowest in the league. Reimer’s .895 save percentage ranks 42nd out of 50 qualified goaltenders. His 3.26 goals against average is 40.