Players in the National Hockey League (NHL) are no longer allowed to put Pride-themed tape on their sticks, the NHL announced. The NHL’s guidance comes after multiple players declined to wear Pride merchandise last season.
Citing their Orthodox religion, several Russian players objected to wearing Pride warmup jerseys this year during the league’s special initiative Pride nights. The NHL banned themed jerseys this season, including pride warmup jerseys, because they had “become distractions.” The league issued clarification on its policy this week, adding that players are also banned from having rainbow-colored tape on their sticks during warm-ups, games, and practices.
While players “should be encouraged to express themselves off the ice,” a memo said, players must comply with official team dress codes while on-ice.
“Players shall not be put in the position of having to demonstrate (or where they may be appearing to demonstrate) personal support for any Special Initiatives,” an NHL memo said. “A factor that may be considered in this regard includes, for example, whether a Player (or Players) is required to be in close proximity to any groups or individuals visibly or otherwise clearly associated with such Special Initiative(s).”
Along with Pride night, other NHL programming initiatives include Black History night, Hockey Fights Cancer night, and Military Appreciation night.
NHL leadership say that by removing uniform distractions, the league can “focus on the game.”
“I suggested that 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 honor of various groups or causes, and we’d rather those continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction,” commissioner Gary Bettman said in June.