Connor McDavid made it clear the Edmonton Oilers are in full support of Pride night leading up to their festivities on Saturday.

Pride warmup jerseys have been a hot-button topic lately, as players and teams across the league have opted against donning the uniforms. The Oilers have never worn Pride jerseys and won't Saturday, but the MVP favorite is adamant his club is an LGBTQ+ ally.

"Certainly can't comment on other players and their beliefs, and other organizations and what they're up to," McDavid said, per Sportsnet. "I know here in Edmonton, we strongly believe hockey is for everyone and strongly support Pride night. Looking forward to it."

He added: "I think we were the first team to use Pride tape in warmup. We're firm believers, obviously, in the celebration that is Pride night."

Oilers forward Zach Hyman echoed McDavid's sentiments about Edmonton's stance.

"Everybody has their own personal opinion. To me, it's an obvious no-brainer," Hyman said. "If I was in that position, I'd wear one. It doesn't go against any of my beliefs, it's probably on the contrary. I think it's extremely important to be open and welcoming to that greater community because they're a minority, and they've faced a lot of persecution over the years.

"To show that we care and that we're willing and ready to include them in our game, in our sport, is extremely important to me. It's a hard question because people have their own personal beliefs, I just don't agree with them."

In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a Pride jersey in warmup due to his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs. Since then, the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks scrapped plans to wear the rainbow-colored uniforms. The Blackhawks said they changed plans out of security concerns for their Russian players.

San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and Florida Panthers players Marc and Eric Staal skipped wearing the jerseys over the past week due to their Christian faith.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward A.J. Greer will have a hearing Friday for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman on Thursday, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.

Greer was ejected from the game after catching Hoffman in the face.

Hoffman initially exited the game but later returned.

Greer has never been suspended in his 99-game NHL career.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine is expected to miss two-to-four weeks after suffering a triceps strain in practice on Thursday, the team announced.

If the injury takes two weeks to heal, Laine could be back for the final four games of the regular season. If it's any longer, his 2022-23 campaign might be over.

The 24-year-old sniper has tallied 22 goals and 30 assists in 55 games during what's been an injury-riddled season, as he missed time earlier this campaign with elbow and ankle sprains. Laine is in the first season of a four-year, $34.8-million contract signed this past offseason.

The last-place Blue Jackets have been marred by injuries this campaign. Most notably, Zach Werenski suffered a season-ending shoulder ailment in November.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.