On a night that was supposed to be about the Flyers' support of the LGBTQ+ community, the focus quickly shifted toward Ivan Provorov's boycott of the event.The Flyers defenseman elected not to participate in warmups with the team on Tuesday night because he refused to wear Philadelphia's Pride Night jerseys and use a stick with rainbow tape on it.After the game, Provorov said that his religious beliefs were the reason for boycotting the celebration."I respect everybody, and I respect everybodys choices," Provorov said after the Flyers' 5-2 lo s. "My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. Thats all Im going to say."I respect everybody and I respect everybodys choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov on refusing to wear a rainbow jersey for warm ups during Pride Night due Joe Carter Jersey to his Ru sian Orthodox faith. Greg Price (@greg_price11) The Flyers offered this statement on behalf of the organization after Provorov's comments:"The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, Curtis Granderson Jersey and we were proud to host our annual Pride night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community."Flyers coach John Tortorella confirmed in the postgame that Provorov did not partake in the warmups because he did not want to wear the jersey and defended the defenseman's decision.John Tortorella's comments on Ivan Provorov declining to wear Pride Night jersey in warm-ups Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) "With (Provorov), he's being true to himself and to his religion," Tortorella said. "This has to do with his belief and his religion. That's one thing I respect about Provy, he's always true to himself. So that's where we're at with that."MORE:Tortorella was asked if he ever considered benching the 26-year-old, which he said he did not. The coach famously said in 2016 that he would , stemming from the protests in the NFL that were initiated by Colin Kaepernick.However, he has since , stating that he'd be open to having Toronto Blue Jays Hoodie a conversation with any player and discu sing it further with the team.The league put out the on Wednesday morning in regards to Provorov's decision to sit out of Pride night:Hockey is for Everyone is the umbrella initiative under which the League encourages Clubs to celebrate the diversity that exists in their respective markets, and to work to achieve more welcoming and inclusive environments for all fans. Clubs decide who to celebrate, when and how with League counsel and support. Players are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage Roberto Osuna Jersey their voices and perspectives on social and cultural i sues.What is Ivan Provorov's religion?Provorov confirmed after the game that he is a member of the Ru sian Orthodox church.The church is one of the parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is considered to be the .Flyers Pride NightWhile Provorov's boycott of the event brought a dimmer on the celebrations, the night was a succe s in the eyes of the organizers."(James van Riemsdyk and I) just got back from a room with about 50 from the community," Scott Laughton said after the game. "It was a great night. Amazing initiative, and something that's been close to me for a long time. I know (van Riemsdyk) too. So I'm going to leave it at that, to be honest.I think it's a great, great night that brings a lot of awarene s and everything like that."I don't hold anything against anyone. It was a great night, put a lot of smiles on people's faces."Hockey Is For Everyone. | Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) Here we come. | Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) Laughton and van Riemsdyk launched a program last year to help support the LGBTQ+ community in the Philadelphia area. They have partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations and .The pair participated in the pre-game skate involving members of the Troy Tulowitzki Jersey Great Philadelphia GOAL organization, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ first responders and military members.After the game, the jerseys and sticks used in warmups were sold at auction by Flyers Charities. The proceeds were going towards the continuing effort to spread awarene s in the community.Provorov was the only player not to have a stick or jersey included in the auction.