Van Riemsdyk and forward Scott Laughton spearheaded a number of the initiatives, including meeting with more than 50 members of the LGBTQ+ community after the Flyers' 5-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks.
"There were a few different groups that we met with after the game that were super excited to be there and just appreciative of the support that the guys showed and the organization showed them," van Riemsdyk said Thursday. "We met a kid who we had hosted earlier in the year, and they came back and showed us pictures of them playing hockey and videos of them playing hockey. So that's what it's all about for me. So I think it just shows the positive impact that we can have and things like that that we're trying to do."
Among the initiatives were the Flyers wearing rainbow-themed jerseys during warmups and sticks wrapped in Pride tape that will be auctioned off by Flyers Charities, with proceeds going toward efforts to grow the game in diverse communities.
Provorov, a defenseman, said he his decision to not wear the Pride Night warmup jersey was based on beliefs of his Russian Orthodox religion.
"I respect everybody and I respect everybody's choices," Provorov said Tuesday. "My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion."
Van Riemsdyk said the decision of one player shouldn't take away from what was an enjoyable night for him and Laughton.
"I think ultimately I like to look at the positives from the night," he said. "We were able to host a few different groups and meet with them after the game and there were other things that I'm sure went on as far as fundraising and things like that. So that's where I'd like to keep the focus on, about the good things that happened.
"Ultimately when you play a team sport, there's lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds and things like that, there's different causes that people support and things like that. So I think people are trying to focus on the positive side of that."
Flyers coach John Tortorella also was impressed with how Pride Night was handled by the players and the organization.
"Do you know how much time the organization and the players put into Pride Night? How much they wanted to be involved in that?" he said. "We forget that, because one person and his religion and his beliefs did not want to partake in the 15-minute warmup. ... I respect the organization, how they handled themselves here because they went about their business. And I thought it was a great night Pride Night."
