The NHL rescinded its ban on Pride tape just four months after enacting the rule, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Tuesday. The NHL, NHLPA and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition agreed to lift the ban on stick tape that brings attention to social causes, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Last season, the league faced controversy after some players opted out of wearing Pride-themed jerseys ahead of their teams’ Pride Night events, which celebrate inclusion with the LGBTQ community. The NHL then banned players from using specialized equipment for select causes, which included the use of rainbow-colored Pride tape.
“After consultation with the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, players will now have the opportunity to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season,” the NHL said in a statement.
Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott defied that ban, using Pride tape in a game against the Ducks over the weekend. The veteran made the decision to show support for the LGBTQ community despite knowing the league could discipline him for breaking the rule.
Dermott said that he felt the league was holding players back by passing this rule.
“You can see it as the league’s taking away our voice,” Dermott said, via The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. “We can’t speak. We don’t have any of this expression anymore. I feel like that’s a valid way to think, and it’s easy to kind of see it that way. A lot of people do, and I’m sure will continue to.”
