Members of the Calgary Flames, alongside other athletes of the Calgary Sport and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), represented their NHL team in Calgary’s annual Pride Parade on Sunday.
Matt Stajan, Troy Brouwer, Chad Johnson and goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet marched in support of Pride.
Brian Burke, the Flames’ president of hockey operations and father of You Can Play founding partner Patrick Burke, did not attend, though he has marched in the past.
“Although I’m disappointed I am unable to attend this year’s Calgary Pride Parade, I’m extremely proud to see a strong contingent of CSEC players and staff represent the organization in what is an important event for the Calgary community,” he said in a statement.
The parade typically sees upwards of 60,000 spectators.
“I believe we need to show our support,” Stajan said. “We have a big presence in this community and you can support a lot of things and that’s an important one for the whole world; to be accepting of everyone.
“The presence of all the sporting teams in this city, the Flames, the Stampeders, the Roughnecks, the Hitmen … we know that we have a presence in this city and we can make a difference. When we walk people take notice. That’s something we take pride in to make sure we’re doing our part for our community.”