Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos gravely ‘disappointed’ as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman bans Pride warm-up jerseys labeling it ‘distraction’

Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Lightning’s Steven Stamkos refuse to believe that the pride-themed jerseys were serving as a distraction for the sport as Gary Bettman bans such practice.

Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos gravely ‘disappointed’ as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman bans Pride warm-up jerseys labeling it ‘distraction’

Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid [Image Credit: SI/Bleacher Report]

It certainly isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last that Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has spoken against the NHL rules. This time though, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos supported the 26-year-old in voicing for the Pride Night celebrations.

While the celebrations themselves were not banned by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, he banned the use of pride warm-up jerseys. According to the Commissioner, the use of such jerseys has wrecked the NHL world and caused “distraction” within the community.

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Several players refused to don pride jersey’s citing their religious beliefs or Russian background. Starting with players, the refusal voices spread out to teams who also decided to boycott the jersey noting player safety issues. To avoid such circumstances, Bettman deemed it necessary to take certain actions against it.

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Related: Oilers star Connor McDavid voices strong “support for Pride Night” amidst ongoing NHL controversies

Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos voice out against pride-themed jerseys ban

Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos [Image Credit: The Toronto Star/CBC]
Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos [Image Credit: The Toronto Star/CBC]

During Connor McDavid’s Hart Memorial Trophy celebration in Nashville, he spoke about how disappointed he is to learn of the ban. He stated, according to NY Post, “It’s not my call, but obviously it’s disappointing…”. 

He further stated that although the Oilers captain “can’t speak for every organization”, he knows Edmonton feels differently about it. The Oilers were one of the first teams to use pride-themed tape on their sticks to support the LGBTQ community. 

The issue that disturbed Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors was the refusals taking center stage amid matches. Fans, players, and teams were divided into supporting and rejecting the themed jerseys. To stop future ruckus and maintain focus on the game itself, the league decided to take extreme measures.

Unfortunately, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos was upset about the outcome. The 2x Stanley Cup champion stated that it was nearly 98% or 99% of other players didn’t have any problem with wearing the jersey and actually “enjoyed wearing it, whatever jersey it was”. “I don’t think it had to have been a distraction.” 

“It could have been a non-issue while focusing on the good that was coming out of those nights.” Not only NHL, but MLB too suffered from pride night celebrations and themed warm-up jerseys. 

The seven NHL players who started the refusal march were – Ivan Provorov, the Staal brothers, James Reimer, Ilya Lyubushkin, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Denis Gurianov. Among NHL teams, Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Rangers, and the Minnesota Wild decided to forgo pride-themed jerseys, although they previously celebrated the occasion.

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