OAN’s James Meyers
1:00 PM – Wednesday, October 25, 2023
In a reversal by the NHL, players will be allowed to use Pride tape on their hockey sticks during the 2023-2024 season.
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The league, players’ union and an LGBTQ+ committee came to an agreement to allow players to have the pride tape on their sticks during warmups, practices, and games.
“We are so very grateful to everyone who believes hockey should be a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for all,” the makers of Pride Tape said on social media. “We are extremely happy that NHL players will now have the option to voluntarily represent important social causes with their stick tape throughout season.”
The new announcement on Tuesday rescinds a ban on the Pride tape after the NHL sent out a memo two weeks ago stating players could no longer use the rainbow colored tape.
The league said in a statement that players would “now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.”
Additionally, the NHL Players Association said it was “pleased to see the league’s policy has been revised so that players are free to support causes they believe in.”
This comes after last season six players chose not to participate in pregame warmups after the team wore Pride themed jerseys. However, this season players are not allowed to wear any kind of themed jerseys.
On Saturday, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott was seen using a stick, which had Pride colored rainbow tape on the handle during a game versus the Anaheim Ducks.
In a statement on Tuesday, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) said, “After ongoing dialogue with players, the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition and the National Hockey League, we are pleased to see the league’s policy has been revised so that players are free to support causes they believe in with stick tape while on the ice.”
“The NHLPA would also like to thank You Can Play for their consistent advocacy.”
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