The NHL announced the reversal of its ban on Pride tape only a few weeks after implementing it due to pushback from activists.
This decision was made after consultations with the players’ union, the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, and other stakeholders. The original ban, established earlier in October, prohibited players from using rainbow-coloured Pride tape during on-ice activities, including games, practices, and warmups.
The reversal comes only a few days after Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott used the then-banned Pride tape on the shaft of his stick during the game. Dermott has not heard from the league about whether he will face reprimand. He said that he felt his message portrayed in the one game was enough and did not plan to continue wearing Pride tape in the near future.
Many leftist activist groups also stood up against the NHL’s Pride ban.
Prior to the NHL reversing its ban, Eagle Canada, a government-funded trans rights organization, critiqued the league, saying, “the NHL has decided to side with the voices of anti-2SLGBTQI hate.”
Scotiabank also challenged the NHL’s ruling. They promoted a give away for 5,000 rolls of Pride tape at branches across Canada.
Pride nights had previously been a topic of contention within the NHL. Last season, some players chose not to participate in pregame warmups when their teams donned rainbow-themed jerseys.
This season, teams were informed they could not wear themed jerseys during warmups, covering a range of causes from military appreciation to Hockey Fights Cancer and Pride night.
“It would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys in warmups because it’s become a distraction and taking away from the fact that all of our clubs, in some form or another, host nights in honour of various groups or causes and we’d rather them continue to get the appropriate attention they deserve and not be a distraction,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman regarding the league-wide ban of themed jerseys.
Reflecting on the contentious issue, Dermott articulated the complex landscape players navigate.
“It’s such a fine line where the league wants to look good, and the league wants to support all of these things, but you also don’t want all of the negativity that can come from someone not supporting it, and you don’t want to force people who don’t support something to support something, and I completely understand that point of view,” he told the Athletic.
