NHL removes Pride Tape ban, grants players option to represent social causes with stick tape

The NHL has officially announced that players will “now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.” This comes after the previous NHL decision to block players from using colored tape to represent their preferred causes due to it being a “distraction.”

According to Elliotte Friedman, this announcement includes allowing players to use Pride tape during practices and games. The agreement was reached after a discussion between the NHL, NHLPA, and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition.

The NHL had banned themed warmup jerseys over the summer, reacting to the controversy that began with Ivan Provorov refusing to wear a Pride jersey during a Philadelphia Flyers warmup last winter. Earlier this month, the league sent a memo to all 32 of its franchises explaining that, while “Players and teams are allowed to ‘celebrate and support’ ” specialty causes, they were banned from placing colored tape on their sticks for games, practices and warmups.

“Game/practice restrictions don’t interfere with players’ ability to support in other settings,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Daily Faceoff at the time. “In fact, we encourage them to. (We) just don’t want to put other player(s) in a tough spot simply because they don’t choose to join.”

Backlash followed in the days and weeks after the ruling, with multiple players speaking out against the decision and even the co-founder of Pride Tape expressing disappointment.

During the Arizona Coyotes’ Saturday game versus the Anaheim Ducks, defenseman Travis Dermott defied the NHL’s ban and put Pride tape on his stick. He made it clear that the ban meant nothing to him and he would face the consequences, whatever they may be. The NHL did not end up penalizing Dermott for this and this was ultimately the straw that broke the camel’s back regarding this rule.

“You don’t really want to go against rules that are put in place by your employer, but there’s some people who took some positive things from it,” Dermott told gophnx.com’s Craig Morgan.