NHL bans Pride tape on hockey sticks, then reverses itself, following earlier Pride jersey controversy related to the Kremlin

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The National Hockey League (NHL) banned the use of Pride tape by its players, then reversed its ruling. The decision stemmed from an earlier uproar when certain teams decided not to wear Pride jerseys, to protect Russian players from potential Kremlin threats related to a Russian law banning “LGBT propaganda.” Since the end of 2022, Pride tape has been a difficult issue to navigate for the NHL. 

Key Players

Founded in 1917, the NHL comprises 32 teams, which include 45 Russian players, the largest number of any North American professional sports league. In hockey, tape protects the blade of a player’s stick from wear and tear and provides a better grip on the shaft. 

In 2013, the NHL partnered with the You Can Play Project, an organization whose mission is to “ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans.” In 2016, the league added team Pride ambassadors. All 32 NHL teams hold an annual Pride night, which is planned by the individual teams.

The Chicago Blackhawks, a professional hockey team founded in 1926, have three players who are of Russian heritage or have family in Russia, including defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, forward Philipp Kurashev, and goaltender Anton Khudobin. The Hawks have worn Pride jerseys on previous occasions.

Further Details

In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning the “propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors.” In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that this was discriminatory, promoted homophobia, and violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

On Dec. 5, 2022, Putin expanded the law to ban all “LGBT propaganda,” making it illegal to promote same-sex relationships, publicly express a non-heterosexual orientation, or suggest that a non-heterosexual orientation was “normal.” Promoting “non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences,” as well as gender transition, is prohibited across Russian internet, media, books, audiovisual services, cinema, and advertising.

Penalties for violating the law were also amplified, with individuals possibly being fined up to 400,000 rubles, ($6,370) for “LGBT propaganda” and up to 200,000 rubles ($3,185) for “demonstrations of LGBT and information that encourages a change of gender among teenagers.” Legal entities can be fined as much as $80,000.

In order to protect players with Russian ties, the Hawks opted out of wearing Pride jerseys for Pride night, according to sources close to the team, The Chicago Sun Times reported. The decision was made after discussions with security experts. It is not known whether the decision was prompted by a threat.

The Hawks address decision not to wear Pride jerseys

On Pride night for the Hawks, March 23, team officials told CNN, “The Chicago Blackhawks organization is proud to continue its annual Pride Night celebration, an evening – alongside year-round efforts – fueled by partnership and LGBTQIA+ community engagement […] We do not condone anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and we stand firmly with the community.”

Addressing the decision, head coach Luke Richardson said, “I don’t think we can control the world issues, so that takes it out of our hands. We’re just making decisions as best we can as an organization and for everybody.”

Special features were still held for Pride night, including half-time performances by the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus and an intermission game for the Chicago Gay Hockey Association. LGBTQ+ performers and businesses were featured, and a zamboni (“Glam-boni” for Pride night) was adorned with Pride decorations.

On March 26, the team hosted a “fireside chat” with Brock McGillis, an LGBTQ+ activist and one of the first openly gay professional hockey players.

Various NHL responses to Pride Night 

While the Hawks were the first team to decide officially not to wear Pride jerseys, other teams and players opted out of Pride celebrations following Putin’s expansion of the anti-LGBTQ law. 

For instance, on Jan. 17, Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers said he would not participate in warmups on the team’s Pride Night. Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, cited his religious beliefs. 

The New York Rangers, which has two Russian-born players, had announced their intention to wear Pride-themed jerseys at their Pride night game on Jan. 27, but instead wore their regular jerseys without explanation.

The Minnesota Wild created a site to auction off a Pride jersey that would be sold on March 7. Before the auction, however, the website was removed; some speculated that this was done to protect star player Kirill Kaprizov, who is from Russia and had difficulty returning back to the United States after going home for a visit during the summer of 2022.

In 2021, Seattle Thunderbirds player Luke Prokop came out as the the first openly gay player under NHL contract. While he has not addressed the Hawks’ decision as it relates to the newly expanded Russian law, Prokop responded to other players’ decisions to opt-out of Pride Night celebrations on March 20, 2023. 

“Pride nights and pride jerseys play an important role in promoting respect and inclusion for the LBTQIA+ community,” Prokop wrote, “and it’s disheartening to see some teams no longer wearing them or not fully embracing their significance, while the focus of others has become about the players who aren’t participating rather than the meaning of the night itself.”

Outcome

NHL bans pride tape, quickly reverses decision

Following various controversies surrounding Pride Night, the NHL decided ahead of the 2023-24 season to ban Pride Tape altogether. 

According to an NHL insider, Pride Tape had historically been an exception to the league’s black-or-white-only tape rules. 

On Oct. 10, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the decision.  

“What happened last year was that the issue of who wanted to wear a particular uniform on a particular night overshadowed everything that our clubs were doing,” Bettman stated at a press conference. “So what we said, instead of having that distraction and having our players have to decide whether or not they wanted to do something or not do something and be singled out, we said, ‘Let’s not touch that,’” he added. 

Several players swiftly spoke up against the decision, including Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner. 

“I’ve expressed disappointment in not being able to wear the various jersey or the tapes … whether that’s Pride tape or pink tape,” McDavid told ESPN. “Is it something that I’d like to see back into place one day? Certainly.” 

The decision angered Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. “It’s something that’s close to my heart and something I would love to support. … It’s a sensitive subject for some people, I don’t understand why, but it is,” he stated. 

The ban was not implemented for long, however. Travis Dermott, a forward for the Arizona Coyotes, immediately defied the tape ban, putting Pride Tape around his stick for his team’s home opener. 

On Oct. 23, the NHL subsequently met with the NHL Players’ Association, and its members echoed concerns regarding the ban. The NHL Player Inclusion Coalition also denounced the ban, according to NPR. As a result, mere weeks after the Pride Tape ban was implemented, it was renounced, to the relief of organizations such as the You Can Play Project.