The NHL sent a memo to teams last week clarifying what players can and cannot do as part of themed celebrations this season, including banning the use of rainbow-colored tape to the game. Pride evenings which have become a hot topic in hockey.
The updated guidelines reaffirm that player uniforms and on-ice equipment for official team games, warm-ups and practices cannot be altered to reflect theme nights, including Pride celebrations, hockey against cancer or military recognition celebrations. Players may voluntarily participate in themed off-ice celebrations.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday, hours before the season began, with a trio of gamesthat the league sent the updated memo, which was first reported by ESPN.
Former league and team executive Brian Burke, a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, sharply criticized the decision Wednesday, which he said removes meaningful support to protect a select few who don’t want to respond to questions. questions about their choices.
“It’s not about inclusion or progress,” said Burke, now president of the PWHL Players Association. said in a statement published on social networks. “Fans are looking to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that has been open for a decade. Make no mistake, this is a surprising and serious setback.
THE You can play the projectan organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ participation in sports and has partnered with the NHL for the past decade, also tore into the league, saying: “If hockey is for everyone, it’s not the way forward. »
“It is now clear that the NHL is backtracking from its long-standing commitment to inclusion and continues to dismantle all of its cutting-edge work on 2SLGBTQ+ belonging,” the YCP Project said in a statement. “We are now at a point where all the progress made and relationships established with our community are at risk. Making decisions to eradicate our visibility in hockey – by eliminating symbols like jerseys and now the Pride Tape – immediately dampens the impact of bringing more diverse fans and players to the sport.
The NHL decided in June not allowing teams to wear themed jerseys for warmups after a handful of players opted out of those situations on Pride Night last season. The league said players opting out of pride nights was a distraction from the work its teams were doing in the community.
“You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether at league level or at club level,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in February during the All-Star Weekend festivities. “But we also have to respect certain individual choices, and some people are more comfortable than others in committing to a cause. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding these differences.
Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov was the first player decide not to participate during warmups when the Flyers wore rainbow-colored jerseys before their Pride Night game in January, citing his Russian Orthodox religion. Six other players followed for various reasons – fellow Russians Ilya Lyubushkin, Denis Gurianov And Andrey Kuzmenko and the Canadians James Reimer And Eric and Marc Staal – and individual teams, including the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks has decided that no players wear Pride jerseys during warm-ups.
“The Pride Tape team is extremely disappointed by the NHL’s decision,” Pride Tape creators said in a statement. “Despite this setback, we are encouraged for what lies ahead based on our recent conversations across all areas of the sport.”
Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly told reporters in Toronto he wishes players were allowed to do more and be more involved.
“I will continue to be involved in the community and offer support to communities and groups that want it (and) need it,” Rielly said.
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