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Ilya Samsonov opts out of wearing rainbow decal for Toronto Maple Leafs’ Pride Night

By Katie Adler

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April 5, 2023 12:25 am

The Toronto Maple Leafs held their Pride Night celebration Tuesday night, celebrating equality and inclusion in the hockey community. Though the Leafs have never worn dedicated Pride jerseys, the team did create helmet decals featuring a rainbow version of the Leafs logo.

Former Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov, however, did not wear the decal, with the team citing concerns for the safety of Samsonov and his family in Russia. He was the only member of the Leafs not to use the decal.

Samsonov did not speak publicly about his decision. Before the game, Mark Fraser, manager for culture and inclusion for the Maple Leafs, defended Samsonov in a TSN interview.

“As folks may or may not know, in the past Ilya has actually supported Pride events with the Washington Capitals, but with the introduction of the new law in Russia as of this past December, it’s definitely created an uncertainty for his family, for his family’s safety back home,” said Fraser. “To be frank, from my personal perspective, the work that I’ve been able to do with the team and with the club and the players, Ilya is someone who is most certainly bought in.”

Samsonov was a semi-regular participant in Pride events with the Capitals. He signed pucks for the Capitals’ Pride auction in both 2021 and 2022. He also used Pride Tape on his stick for auction in 2021 and was the only Russian Capitals player to do so that year. However, he did not use Pride Tape in either 2020 or 2022, though many of his teammates did.

Fraser further emphasized that Samsonov’s refusal to wear the decal was not reflective of internal prejudices.

“[Samsonov] truly loves our game and believes that our game should be available and inclusive to all. We’re fortunate here with the Maple Leafs to also have members in our locker room from the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and watching how Ilya is in his care and actual, genuine relationships with individuals, I’m very confident of where he stands on this. But again, it’s created a little uncertainty with the law back in Russia for him and his family’s safety.”

Samsonov did not play in Tuesday’s game, likely for load management-related reasons.

Pride Nights have regularly come under fire this season as a rash of players and teams have opted out of participating. Multiple players and teams have cited fears of retaliation against Russian players who participate in Pride Nights.

It’s worth noting, however, that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told the Athletic that the league did not have evidence of “any material threat” for Russian players should they participate. Furthermore, many Russian players have worn Pride symbols without issue.

On the same night that the Leafs held their Pride Night game, the Nashville Predators saw every player wear a Pride jersey, including Russians Yakov Trenin and Egor Afanasyev.

Despite Samsonov’s non-participation, the Maple Leafs proceeded with Pride Night as scheduled, including arena decor, food specials, and a drag show.

The Maple Leafs have also participated in Pride initiatives outside of their dedicated event. Multiple members of the Leafs have attended Pride parades over the summer, and several are involved with the Alphabet Sports Collective. In preparation for Tuesday’s game, the team invited Megan Duggan, a three-time Olympian, to speak to the players about her experiences as an out athlete.

In his TSN interview, Fraser offered a poignant reminder of Pride Nights’ importance, delivering a message to LGBTQ+ fans:

“This is a welcoming space for all,” he said. “We see you and we know that you are represented in Leafs Nation. This game is for everybody. We want you to be a part of this and be able to come here and have a safe place to engage and consume and participate in this beautiful game.”

Headline photo: @rs_molloy/Twitter

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