Business As Usual For Flyers, Ivan Proverov After Pride Night Stance

All eyes were on the Philadelphia Flyers to see what kind of reception defenseman Ivan Provorov would get in his first appearance since making a faith-based decision for himself not to wear a Pride Night jersey.

Provorov is a top-pair defenseman for the Flyers and typically plays big minutes for the Orange and Black. Would he be in the team's starting lineup against the seriously struggling Chicago Blackhawks?

What say you, random fan on the internet?

He was correct.

The Fly Guys' second pairing of Travis Sanheim and Tony DeAngelo got the nod to start the game. After about 40 seconds, as is the nature of hockey, Provorov and his defensive partner Cam York hopped over the boards for their first shift.

Provorov was not booed, cheered, or jeered by the home crowd. Had you not known what had gone down over the preceding two days, you would've thought this was just any mid-January NHL game between two teams currently out of the playoffs, which, in fairness, it was.

Provorov's first game since the Pride Night incident was pretty unremarkable, and that's a good thing. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Not A Great Result For The Flyers, But A Good One For Provorov

Once things got rolling, It did not end well for the Flyers. Despite potting the first goal, they gave up four unanswered to lose to the Blackhawks, 4-1.

The team certainly didn't try to keep Provorov off the ice either, he routinely logs big minutes. Thursday night was no different as he recorded 20:48 TOI. That was most icetime by any Flyer not named Travis Sanheim or Travis Konecny

Provorov recorded two shots, blocked two shots, and finished even on the +/- front.

This was honestly the best way this could've panned out. No signs admonishing Provorov for making a personal decision. No boos when he touched the puck. He did what he wanted to do in the first place: simply go out and play hockey,

It also suggests, that this issue of not wearing the Pride Night jersey, which sent numerous media members undergoing spectacular meltdowns, isn't a huge deal to the average sports fan.

Gee, who would have thought that (except for everyone willing to give it an ounce of thought)?

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle