The Calgary Flames’s front office has made some huge moves this offseason to give the team its best shot at a Stanley Cup in years.
But the organization’s social media team has been putting in work too, making sure the marketing side of things match the talent that’ll take the ice in a few weeks.
On Saturday, the Flames changed their social media profile pictures to a version of classic logo bearing the colours of the LGBTQ+ flag.
While most fans and members of the LGBTQ+ appreciated the gesture, some expressed their displeasure with the symbol and the significance of it.
Calgary’s social media account made sure to back up their gesture with some clever and hilarious replies to the hecklers in the comments.
As explained in some of the replies, the Flames are showing support for Calgary Pride, which is held this year from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5. The parade took place on Sunday, Sept. 4 through downtown Calgary.
Pride Month celebrations are commonly held in June in honour of the Stonewall Uprising, a series of riots in response to a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattan, in June 1969.
Many NHL teams and sports franchises around North America make similar gestures to support the LGBTQ+ community, but few double down on their support by suppressing disapproving comments like the Flames have.
The team is notching wins off the ice with their social advocacy, and will hope to see similar success this upcoming season after a wild summer which saw the roster get a major facelift.
The team and its fans were initially rocked with the emotional departures of superstars Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in July after they crashed out of the second round of the playoffs at the hands of provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers.
General manager Brad Treviling and his staff miraculously managed to resuscitate their offseason – and the team’s competitive window – with an impressive haul for Tkachuk that included former Florida Panthers stars Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. He then backed up the blockbuster trade with the equally impactful signing of prized free agent forward Nazem Kadri, fresh off a Stanley Cup victory with the Colorado Avalanche.
Safe to say it’s been hot in Calgary this summer.
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