Last year, the National Hockey League (NHL) found itself in an uncomfortable situation as seven players publicly opted not to wear Pride-themed warm-up jerseys as part of their Pride Night celebrations for religious reasons. A handful of teams ultimately scrapped their plans to wear warm-up jerseys altogether. For many LGBTQ+ fans, myself included, this was a frustrating resolution to a conflict between a small group of individual players and the vast majority of the league’s athletes, who have participated in such events without incident for several years.
Clearly weary of the bad publicity stemming from this conflict, the league’s Board of Governors and commissioner Gary Bettman agreed that there would not be any themed jerseys in the NHL this season. Rather than working through the potential difficulties of a Pride Night event, the league opted to eliminate themed nights altogether. This included other historically popular events like Hockey Fights Cancer Nights or Military Appreciation Games.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s rationale through all of this has been one of individual choice and player autonomy. “We also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others,” Bettman stated during the NHL’s All-Star Weekend last year. “Part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences.”
Imagine my surprise and anger when the NHL circulated a league-wide memo earlier this month stating that players will no longer be permitted to put rainbow-coloured Pride tape on their sticks this season, as this might signal their support for a personal cause in the course of “on ice activity.”
This restriction is mind-blogging for many reasons, first and foremost because it completely flies in the face of the league’s so-called respect for individual choice. It also begs the question of what the league plans to do if players use pride tape anyway. “What is the league going to do?” Minnesota Wild defenseman Jon Merrill asked reporters. “Take me off the ice, give me a penalty?” His questions are valid and currently remain unanswered. In their attempt to be as politically neutral as possible, the NHL has once again found itself in the middle of a PR nightmare. As a longtime fan of the league, I cannot say I find this surprising.
Above all, this decision sends a strong and unfriendly message to closeted players in the league right now, young queer players who dream of joining the league, and LGBTQ+ fans along with their allies. Yet despite what the NHL’s higher management seems to think, queer people do not cease to be queer when they go to work, play a sport, or exist in the public eye. Our identities cannot be added or removed like tape on a hockey stick.
In their desperate quest to be perceived as neutral, the NHL has clearly indicated where they stand. Queer fans and their allies must now hold them to account.
“Pride Flag” by lewishamdreamer is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.