Canucks unveil 2023 Pride jersey players will wear tomorrow

The 2023 Vancouver Canucks Pride jersey is here and it’s spectacular.

The Canucks revealed yesterday that they would indeed wear special warmup jerseys for Pride Night on Friday. Today, the team unveiled the new threads, designed by Christina Hyrc.

The jerseys feature a multi-coloured redesign of the Canucks’ orca and stick-in-rink logos, as well as rainbow-coloured numbers. Player name bars have the words “You Can Play,” representing the partnership with the You Can Play Project, which is “working together to ensure the safety and inclusion of all.”

Proceeds from the Canucks’ Pride collection will support You Can Play.

“The Rainbow is a visible symbol for Pride and represents all who make up the complex community,” the Canucks said about the redesigned Orca logo. “It’s a promise that equality and visibility are a priority.”

“The monarch butterfly is a symbol of mental health awareness. A reminder to be kind to one another,” the team added, explaining the Stick-in-Rink shoulder patch. “The Pansies are a nod to the first LGBTQ+ movement in the 1930s known as the Pansy Craze.”

Pride Nights have been more complicated in the NHL this season, with four players around the league opting to sit out warmup rather than wear a Pride jersey. Three teams, the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and Chicago Blackhawks opted to scrap their Pride Night jerseys altogether.

Russia’s new anti-gay law has been blamed for why players from that country have been hesitant to wear Pride jerseys, though multiple Russian players have participated. Conversely, three of the four players that refused to wear Pride jerseys were Canadian and pointed to religious reasons for skipping warmup.

While the Canucks announced their 2023 Pride Night plans later than usual, it appears the team will be moving full steam ahead, with not only special jerseys for warmup but a full event to mark the occasion. The team has also made a $20,000 donation on behalf of the Canucks for Kids Fund to Qmunity, a non-profit in Vancouver that supports 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

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