Entering the 2023-24 season, The National Hockey League (NHL) made the decision to restrict specialty jerseys, ribbons, stickers and Pride tape in an effort to keep the focus of players and fans on the games.
Outsports sums up this deeply flawed decision with just 16 words: “The NHL has banned Pride Tape, creating its own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy on the ice.”
In June, Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, announced the policy change in an interview with Sportsnet: “I’ve 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 the honor of various groups or causes, and we rather they continue to get the appropriate attention they deserve.”
The games that Bettman is referring to are themed nights where the individual clubs within the NHL celebrate and highlight different movements and cultures. These themed nights highlight many things, from Black and Hispanic heritage to Pride, even extending to cancer awareness.
According to ESPN, the NHL clarified the policy change in a memo: “although [players] can voluntarily participate in themed celebrations off the ice, the updated guidance reaffirmed that on-ice player uniforms and gear worn in warmups, official team practices and games cannot be altered to reflect ‘specialty’ theme nights.”
This themed jersey restriction not only banned specialty jerseys, but also banned stickers and ribbons from players’ jerseys. However, the NHL went a step further and banned Pride tape from adorning the players’ hockey sticks, a measure meant to “prevent teams and players from using it as an ‘end around’ to violate the new uniform policy,” said a source within the NHL to ESPN. Pride tape was introduced into the NHL in 2016, allowing players to wrap their sticks with rainbow tape to signify LGBTQ+ solidarity.
The restrictions, meant to keep “the focus on the game” come after a controversial response to the Pride nights last season where several players — and in some cases, full teams — opted out of wearing the Pride jerseys, citing their religion, culture or citizenship.
Yet, in the NHL’s hopes of avoiding a controversy like last season’s, they have instead done so much more than ban jerseys: They have banned self-expression and the ability to represent what a player’s purpose is on the ice.
The banning of Pride tape is disgustinghockey jersey or sweater. Considering that bearing the tape is a voluntary option that seemingly did not create major controversy within the league, the line between what is considered keeping the focus on the game and what is blatant exclusion and discrimination has been majorly crossed. This decision has created a world of hurt for those who are gay or stand for LGBTQ+ solidarity and look at hockey players as allies who support and stand for them.
This ban, in a way, is the NHL’s method of telling players to “shut up and dribble,” reminiscent of FOX News’ correspondent Laura Ingraham’s response to LeBron James speaking about what he stands for. The NHL is muting players’ only way of showing what causes they support on the ice; in between skating, pushing, shoving and scoring, players’ only way to speak up is through the jerseys and tape that they choose to adorn.
In an attempt to stop players and fans’ attention from being diverted, the NHL has also stopped the possibility of important conversations being had. The NHL has affirmed that it is not a safe space for all, and that this is merely a league where sports are the only focus. They’ve fully forgotten that their sport is reliant on players and fans who have other morals and beliefs outside of hockey that are important to them.
Despite their diversity and inclusion initiative implemented in February 2017, the NHL has indicated one thing with this decision: Hockey is not for everyone.
This is the opinion of Amani Rivers, a sophomore journalism major from Philadelphia. Send comments and feedback to editor@theloyolan.com. Follow @LALoyolan on Instagram, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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