Marc and Eric Staal did not suit up in Pride Night jerseys during warmups ahead of the Panthers’ game against the Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The brothers cited their “Christian beliefs” as the reason for not wearing the special uniforms, saying in a statement that they wanted to keep the focus on helping the Panthers win this year’s Stanley Cup.
“We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey,” the statement read, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “…We feel that by us wearing a pride jersey it goes against our Christian beliefs.
