at The NHL angered the LGBTQ+ community prior to the start of the season when it informed NHL franchises that they would no longer be able to use Pride Tape on their sticks and support third party causes.
There was an immediate backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, with organizations like You Can Play which supports inclusivity in sports from the LGBTQ+ community accusing the NHL of going backwards and undoing all the work done to support the LGBTQ+ community.
NHL Reverses Decision On Pride Tape
There were a number of NHL players who were unhappy with the NHL’s decision to ban them from supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Travis Dermott from the Arizona Coyotes defied the ban on Oct 21 when he deliberately used Pride Tape when they played the Anaheim Ducks.
A few days later, the NHL has confirmed that it has decided to reverse the ban on Pride Tape and will allow players to support third party causes. The decision to reverse the ban has been welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community.
The NHL did not provide a lot of information as to why it decided to reverse the ban but said after talks with the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, it decided to reverse the ban.
