There were a lot of discussions about Pride during last year’s NHL season. Several players refused to participate in their teams’ Pride-themed nights, which sometimes meant that players stood out of warmups. The discussions led to some teams even canceling their planned theme nights.
San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer was one of the players refusing to wear a Pride-themed jersey and, therefore, missing the warmup before a game. He cited his religious beliefs, as many others did, as the reason for not showing support to the LGBTQ+ community.
“For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian — not just in title, but in how I choose to live my life daily,” Reimer said.
“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.
“I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness. In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life.”
But something happened with Reimer this weekend that few fans would’ve expected. Reimer signed autographs when a fan decided to give him a pride flag. The fan shared a photo of Reimer on X/Twitter, and accordingly, he brought the flag with him to his car.
”He smiled and asked what my name was and where I was from, carried it through the whole rest of the line and into his truck with him. He did roll it up and hold it by the actual flag at one point but he held it open for a while,” she said when asked about Reimer’s reaction.
The fan also, jokingly, said that Reimer perhaps didn’t understand the message behind the flag.
”There’s a distinct possibility he has no idea what it was lolol,” she said.
