“Huge slap in the face” – Fans BLAST NHL as league reportedly BANS usage of Pride tape in upcoming 2023-24 season
A stunning report regarding the ban of Pride Tape by the NHL has sent shockwaves across the hockey community just hours before the first game of the 2023-24 season.
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Gary Bettman [Image Credit: NHL/Hockey Patrol]
As the hours tick down for the first game of the new NHL season, controversy has already sparked up. The league has reportedly banned the usage of Pride Tape for the upcoming season. This was earlier allowed for players to show their solidarity and support to the LGBTQ+ community.
According to a report from Outsports, the league had earlier sent a memo to all the teams specifying which “special initiatives” they could take to celebrate the Pride Nights. They have though issued a ban on Pride Tape. In the past, players were allowed to tape their part of hockey sticks with this tape. As per the new rules, this will not be allowed from this season.
The issue regarding the Pride Night celebration in the NHL has been going on for a long time now. Last year seven players refused to wear rainbow-themed jerseys on the pretext of religious causes. Following this stand by the players, commissioner Gary Bettman banned Pride rainbow jerseys from the ice field. He would label it as a “distraction“ from the games.
The idea of using Pride Tape was developed by former Edmonton Oilers captain Andrew Ference. It was in 2016 when he contacted the creators of Pride Tape to supply some of that material to the teams. This move has now seen a wide outrage on social media.
Social media thrashes NHL for this Pride Tape development
The Pride Night celebrations have been faced with controversy in North American sports. Similar instances were recorded in MLB when the league decided against putting the Pride logos on the uniforms and jerseys. This development has not gone down well among users on social media.
Several of them called out the league while the others slammed the organization. One angry user would write “Huge slap in the face“. Check out that and other reactions from X (formerly called Twitter) on this matter :
The NHL and the NHLPA have not made any statements or comments regarding this development. With the tensions now sky-high, the next words from the league and their leaders could be key for the future of the sport.
Speaking on the NHL season, the first game will see the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Nashville Predators. However, the excitement among fans has now surely taken a hit by this mega breakthrough just hours before the opening match. It will be crucial to see how this development pans out further.
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Vinay Dave
(1754 Articles Published)