Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will not participate in the team's Pride Night warmups before Monday's game against the Canadiens, citing safety concerns in his native Russia.
issued a statement Monday reaffirming its commitment to the community ahead of Pride Night, but made mention of the"general threats to certain players" after news broke that Lyubushkin, who was born in Moscow, would not partake in the evening’s events.
"The Buffalo Sabres are proud to continue to support the LGBTQIA+ community as allies by hosting our third annual Pride night game. It is of the utmost importance for us to continue to use our platform to strengthen our organizational goal of making hockey for everyone," the statement read. "Consistent with previous years, our team feels strongly that one way to garner support is through wearing Pride jerseys and using Pride tape in warmups.
Ilya Lyubushkin of the Buffalo Sabres prepares for a face-off against the Panthers at the FLA Live Arena on Feb. 24, 2023, in Sunrise, Florida.
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