![]() "These kids don't have many professionals to look up to - and for young hockey players, there are no 'out' role models at all," its founders said. Pride Tape was backed by a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, as a simple way to encourage LGBTQ+ youth to get involved in team sports. The group has been a partner of the NHL since at least 2013, working to strengthen a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans.īut, it says, "It is now clear that the NHL is stepping back from its longstanding commitment to inclusion, and continuing to unravel all of its one-time industry-leading work on 2SLGBTQ+ belonging." "If Hockey is for Everyone, this is not the way forward," the You Can Play project said in response to the ban. The tape was part of outreach efforts such as Hockey Is For Everyone - a slogan that is now being questioned by critics of the NHL's new policy. The NHL made Pride Tape an integral part of its teams' Pride Night celebrations, even selling the tape in its official league shop. The tape got a big boost in early 2016, when the Edmonton Oilers used it as a way to support young LGBTQ+ athletes who might otherwise quit playing ice hockey in the face of homophobia and discrimination. The multicolored Pride Tape quickly became an "ingrained part of hockey culture" - and that quote comes from the NHL's own website, in a story from 2021. Getty Images Marian Studenic of the New Jersey Devils takes the ice in 2021, when Devils wore special jerseys during warmups to celebrate Pride Night. News of the policy was first reported by outlets including Outsports and ESPN. By taking themed jerseys out of the equation, he said, the league is trying to eliminate a distraction.īut the ban itself has taken up attention on its own. "What happened last year was that the issue of who wanted to wear a particular uniform on a particular night overshadowed everything that our clubs were doing," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said this week. The abrupt shift came after several NHL players made headlines last season for refusing to wear Pride Night themed jerseys, citing religious or other reasons. The NHL announced over the summer that its players will no longer wear special jerseys during warmups to mark "theme nights," when teams show support for a variety of groups, from the LGBTQ+ community to Indigenous groups, the military, and people fighting cancer.īut as the NHL prepared to start a new season, it sent a memo announcing the ban also applies to Pride Tape, saying players aren't allowed to use it at any time. What's the context of the tape controversy? Neither the NHL nor the NHL Players' Association responded to NPR's requests for comment on the ban. Other NHL players said that while they disagree with the ban, they will respect the league's rules. "We will send Scott and his teammates all the free Pride Tape they want," Kristopher Wells, a co-founder of Pride Tape, said in response. "I'll use the tape - if I have to buy it myself, I will," Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton said on Wednesday, discussing how he would mark his team's Pride Night. At least one player said he'll likely use the colorful tape anyway. High-profile players say they're disappointed. But the NHL has banned the athletic tape, quickly sparking a backlash.Ĭritics say the league's decision is a step backward. Rainbow-colored Pride Tape has been part of pro ice hockey for seven years, symbolizing the sport's pledge to be welcoming and inclusive.
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