Maple Leafs goalie refuses to wear Pride decal

Just an hour before tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with the Maple Leafs hosting a Pride celebration night, news broke that goaltender Ilya Samsonov refused to wear Pride logos during warmup.

Samsonov will be the only player on the Leafs not to wear the logo, but will not be the first Russian player around the league to refuse wearing it, the first notably being Flyers' defenceman Ivan Provorov. Laws in Russia, essentially being a theocracy with Russian Orthodox Christianity, have been speculated as the reason why Samsonov refused to participate. Provorov himself noted it was his personal beliefs, while Samsonov was not made available to the media.

Additionally, disturbing news broke this morning of Matvei Michkov's father passing away under suspicious circumstances. At the moment, it's being speculated that Samsonov may fear for the safety of his Russian family members, to which the Michkov news would heavily influence the decision. On the other hand, multiple other Russian players have participated throughout the league in various capacities this year and in the past, including Igor Shesterkin, Artemi Panarin, and more.

All aspects considered, it's an extremely tough situation to assess. The war in Ukraine is without a doubt influencing this discussion, sparking discussion and controversy, ultimately affecting life even in North America. Hopefully, the war comes to a swift end with the aggressors surrendering and held accountable.

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