Brian Burke on the NHL’s Pride Night snubs: ‘We’re still going the right way’ – The Athletic

A veteran hockey executive whose family helped reshape the conversation around LGBTQ+ issues in professional sports — through bravery, then tragedy — said he was left “clearly and visibly annoyed” when two NHL teams scaled back on scheduled Pride events, but believes the push toward inclusivity will continue around the game.

Brian Burke, the president of hockey operations with the Pittsburgh Penguins, said it was “extremely disappointing” to see Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov decline to wear a Pride-themed jersey for a pregame warmup in January, followed by a similar move from the New York Rangers.

“I would view this as a much bigger setback if I didn’t view it as ‘we’re still going the right way,’” Burke said in an interview with The Athletic. “In other words: As disappointed as I am, it’s important that people realize these are setbacks of a minor nature, in my view, in terms of where we are, versus where we were 12 years ago.

“And I don’t think anyone should lose sight of that.”

Burke emerged as a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ awareness in hockey more than a decade ago, after his son Brendan came out publicly. Brendan Burke was a university student and fellow hockey lifer in 2009 when he spoke first to a reporter from ESPN, followed by an appearance alongside his father on TSN, while Brian Burke was still president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I think it’s important that my story is told to people,” Brendan told TSN host James Duthie during the interview. “Because there are a lot of gay athletes out there — and gay people working in pro sports — that deserve to know that there are safe environments where people are supportive of you regardless of your sexual orientation.”

Three months after that interview, Brendan Burke was killed in a car accident along an icy highway in Indiana. His father marched in Toronto’s Pride parade that summer, and his family helped to launch the advocacy group You Can Play, which became a voice to combat homophobia in sports.

Burke is no longer directly part of You Can Play but remains an advocate for the community.

Excited to represent the @penguins at Pittsburgh Pride ❤️🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/I4rA9D5XJB

— Brian Burke (@Burkie2020) June 4, 2022

“Diversity and inclusion are important, and they’re important to the NHL,” he said. “Pride nights are saying that diversity and inclusion of everybody is important. Colors, races, churches. None of that matters.

“That’s what the Pride message is, and that’s why it’s important that we don’t lose sight of that fact, because one or two people might have individual issues with parts of the program.”

Provorov became one of those people on Jan. 17, when he declined a pregame skate with his team to avoid wearing a Pride-themed jersey. Speaking with reporters after the game, the 26-year-old cited his Russian Orthodox faith as a reason for not participating.

Flyers coach John Tortorella defended his player, telling reporters: “It’s one thing I respect about Provy, he’s always true to himself.”

Ten days later, the Rangers did not wear Pride-themed jerseys or use Pride-themed tape before a home game against the Vegas Golden Knights. To explain the unexpected change of plans, the Rangers wrote in a statement: “In keeping with our organization’s core values, we support everyone’s individual right to respectfully express their beliefs.”

Burke said wearing a Pride-themed jersey is a broad symbolic gesture to say: “You’re welcome here.”

“The part that troubles me is, this fragmentation is dangerous,” said Burke. “For someone to say, ‘Well, I’m an Orthodox Christian, I’m not wearing a Pride sweater.’ Well, I don’t see how one has anything to do with the other.

“We want to say, ‘Everyone is welcome here.’ And that’s the risk here: The fragmentation, the distraction, losing sight of the message.”

GO DEEPER

O’Connor: On Flyers Pride Night, Provorov sparked division and embarrassment

Burke said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has told him he remains “solidly behind Pride.”

“I’m clearly and visibly annoyed by this, but I do think the New York Rangers endorse and embrace Pride,” he said. “Whether they’ve got individual players who sidetracked it or not, I do believe the Rangers are part of the solution here.”

He named Rangers general manager Chris Drury and captain Jacob Trouba as part of that solution.

“Our players support this,” he said. “I know that. I don’t think a couple of distractions are going to derail the movement, which is all I care about.”

Burke, who emphasized work being done beyond his family and the organization it helped form, said the incidents in Philadelphia and New York are not an indication of any broader trend in the league’s plans.

“I don’t think they’re going to step away from Pride Nights,” he said. “Whether they continue to wear Pride sweaters, or whether it’s, ‘you don’t have to wear one’ … I don’t know where we go. I don’t know what the solution is.

“But teams are not going to stop having Pride Nights. Even if they have to stop wearing the uniforms. We have players who are going to wear a Pride uniform if they’re allowed to do it. And if not, they’ll wear Pride tape.”

[embedded content]

Brendan Burke was a goaltender in high school. He was student manager of the hockey team at Miami University in Ohio when his car collided with another vehicle. He was 21 years old.

“His vision of the world was a spark that lit a fire of hope in so many people,” his brother Patrick said on the day of his funeral mass, according to The Associated Press. “That fire has not been extinguished by his passing. His memory will fan the flame of courage in all of us, inspiring all of us to be a little kinder, a little stronger, a little better, a little more like Brendan.”

Brian Burke was speaking near the 13th anniversary of his son’s death.

“I told Brendan this when he came out: ‘Brendan, your life as a young gay man is so much better than it was when I was in high school,’” he told The Athletic on Tuesday. “Think about how bad it was even back then, when Brendan came out. I had to tell Brendan when he came out: ‘You better keep your head on a swivel for a few weeks here.’”

His son had suddenly become a very public figure, and his concern was a reflex. Burke said he warned his son against venturing out in public alone.

“How sick is that? That I had to tell my son that?” he said. “I think tremendous progress has been made, and I’m proud of that. I’m pleased with that, and happy to be involved with it. We still have a long way to go.”

Brian Burke said he will still support the movement whenever he can. He said he will march whenever he can, and post on social media when it is required.

“It’s time for other people to take on a bigger voice,” he said. “But I’ll still yell whenever I should.”

GO DEEPER

Rangers’ retreat on Pride Night sends somber message to younger, closeted players

(Photo: Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images)

Favorite