Athletes competing in the National Hockey League won’t be able to put rainbow-colored Pride Tape on their sticks due to a recent decision by the league’s Board of Governors. A league spokesperson told Outsports on Tuesday that the NHL has prohibited the tape in games, warm-ups, and even practices. The league also banned “specialty jerseys” this summer. In the lead-up to the opening night of the 2023-24 regular season on Tuesday, The You Can Play Project—a group that works “to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans”—released a response, saying, “Making decisions to eradicate our visibility in hockey – by eliminating symbols like jerseys and now Pride Tape – immediately stunts the impact of bringing in more diverse fans and players.” NHL policies regarding Pride nights garnered controversy last season when several players and teams refused to wear Pride warmup jerseys, citing religious reasons and safety.
You Can Play speaks on the NHL’s decision to disallow pride symbols of any kind, including Pride jerseys and Pride tape on the ice for warm ups and games. pic.twitter.com/CobD5TSEnK
