The Chicago Blackhawks won't wear Pride jerseys during warmup for Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks, citing security interests for their Russian players, team sources told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.

The decision came from the team's front office, which consulted with security officials both inside and outside the organization, according to the Associated Press' Jay Cohen.

Chicago has three players with Russian heritage or family on its roster: Nikita Zaitsev, Philipp Kurashev, and Anton Khudobin. Russia passed a law in December to criminalize LGBTQ+ "propaganda" on any platform.

In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a Pride jersey due to his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs, but the rest of his teammates participated. Afterward, the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild - two teams with prominent Russian players - decided against wearing the jerseys on their scheduled Pride nights.

Most recently, goaltender James Reimer was the lone San Jose Shark to sit out his club's Pride night warmup over the weekend, citing his Christian faith.

The Blackhawks will still host Pride Night on Sunday despite not donning rainbow-colored uniforms.

The club released a statement Wednesday addressing their intentions:

"Together, our activities will focus on fostering conversation and more equitable spaces in our pursuit to make hockey more inclusive. We do not condone anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and we stand firmly with the community.

"While we know game day celebrations like these are an important way we can use our platform to bring visibility, it is the work we do together 365 days a year that can create true impact in ensuring all of our colleagues, fans and communities feel welcomed and safe within our sport."

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Just like most of the Toronto Maple Leafs' fanbase, superstar Auston Matthews is curious what top prospect Matthew Knies can bring to the table at the NHL level.

Knies is playing out his second season at the University of Minnesota, but is eligible to sign an entry-level contract with Toronto whenever his collegiate campaign ends. Many believe the Leafs could give him a chance to close out the regular season and perhaps suit up in the playoffs, and Matthews supports the cause.

"Yeah of course, I think there's always that intrigue this time of year," the reigning Hart Trophy winner told TSN.

Matthews added: "Hopefully the year he's had kind of gives him some confidence coming in and finishing his season, and seeing where that goes. Jumping in, it's quite a jump, but obviously he's a mature young guy and we'll do everything we can to help him out and give him the best opportunity to succeed."

There is no firm date on when Knies may become available. Minnesota is the top-ranked team in the NCAA, and is expected to make a deep run to the Frozen Four. The championship tournament runs April 6-8, and the Maple Leafs only have three regular season games after the end date - including one against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will be Toronto's first-round playoff opponent barring a miraculous change in the Atlantic Division standings.

Knies was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft. He earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors this season after posting 41 points in 36 games, and is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player.

The 6-foot-3 winger also represented the United States at the Olympics and world juniors in 2022.

The Maple Leafs are currently fifth in the NHL standings with 93 points.

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Veteran center Brian Boyle officially retired Wednesday after suiting up in 14 NHL seasons.

The 38-year-old wasn't on a roster this season, but he played in 66 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. His next step will be joining NHL Network as a studio analyst.

Boyle was drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2003. His longest stint with any team came from 2009-14 with the New York Rangers, where he appeared in 355 games. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers.

The Massachusetts native racked up 252 points in 871 career games while tacking on 33 more in 124 playoff contests.

Boyle won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2018 for his dedication to the sport after overcoming a chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis.

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The results of the annual NHLPA Player Poll are in, and while most of the responses were predictable, there were a few eyebrow-raising trends.

Many of the top picks went back-to-back. Patrick Kane again earned the most votes for best stick-handler, Leon Draisaitl repeated as the best passer, Marie-Philip Poulin was once again considered the best women's hockey player, and Montreal's Bell Centre remained the most popular choice as the arena with the best ice.

The full poll can be viewed here. The players responded to 14 questions in total, down from 15 in 2021-22. Here are some of the results:

If you need to win one game, who's the goalie you'd want on your team?

Vasilevskiy nabs most coveted goalie honors for the second straight year, increasing his vote share from 37.4% last season. Both the win and the increase are a bit surprising considering the Tampa Bay Lightning puck-stopper is being outplayed by numerous netminders in 2022-23.

In a must-win game, which forward do you think would be most impactful?

No surprise here with McDavid destroying the field of forwards given his dominance both in 2022-23 and in his career as a whole. The NHLPA phrased this one as "which skater" last year, with McDavid and Crosby finishing one-two in that as well. But McDavid's total increased from the 42.2% he received in 2021-22, while Crosby's fell from 17.4%.

Who's the top defenseman in the game?

The results are pretty much as expected, with blue-liners getting their own separate query this time. Makar is having another outstanding campaign after claiming the Norris Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup last season.

Who's the most complete player?

Crosby also earned this distinction in 2021-22. Bergeron leapfrogged Barkov after placing third last year.

Who's the most underrated player?

This question wasn't asked in 2021-22. Barkov's win by a wide margin is well-deserved, and it's notable to see Zibanejad and Bratt cracking the top six.

Which player do you least enjoy playing against but would like to have on your team?

The NHL's most prominent pest claims this one for the second consecutive year, with McDavid and Wilson finishing right where they did one season ago as well. Marchand got more votes this time after garnering 26.4% in 2021-22.

Which NHL player is the best guy in the locker room?

This question wasn't asked last year, either. It was by far the most divisive this time around, with 181 different players earning votes. The range of responses - and Fleury's status as the game's most beloved player, for that matter - isn't shocking. But it's a bit unexpected to not see a player like Ryan Reaves get more love, especially considering he's now with his fifth team.

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