The National Hockey League issued a ban this week on specialty jerseys—including special rainbow ones for LGBTQ Pride Nights–after some players objected to wearing them.
Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner, said that the jerseys had “become a distraction,” according to LGBTQ Nation.
“All of our clubs host nights in honor of various groups or causes, and we’d rather they continue to get the appropriate attention they deserve and not be a distraction,” Bettman said.
He confirmed that Pride nights, as well as other theme nights, would still happen. The difference is that players will wear their standard jerseys during the games. Similarly, teams can make themed jerseys to sell, but players can’t wear them on the ice.
Before the new rule, theme nights—including nights for military appreciation as well as special anti-cancer events—often had players wearing special jerseys. Similar to how Pride jerseys are festooned with rainbows, military appreciation jerseys are usually in military drab with camouflage print. Lavender jerseys were worn for the Hockey Fights Cancer nights.
READ MORE: Baseball Commissioner Says Pride Jerseys Make Some Players ‘Uncomfortable’
The news about the hockey jerseys comes a week after Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred advised teams to not wear Pride-themed uniforms because it made some players “uncomfortable.”
“We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players: not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views,” Manfred said.
This year, a few NHL players have refused to wear the Pride jerseys. This January, Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers said wearing one would be against his religious beliefs. Two months later, San Jose Shark James Reimer said the same thing.
In March, the Chicago Blackhawks said they wouldn’t wear Pride jerseys at all, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ban on LGBTQ “propaganda.” The Blackhawks said they wanted to protect their Russian players.
Though all specialty jerseys are banned, it does not appear that any players objected to any of the other promotions.
The decision has been panned by many. You Can Play, a group promoting inclusivity in professional sports, said that prior to this decision the NHL was “a leader among major sporting organizations” in terms of “advancing visibility and acceptance” of the queer community.
“Today’s decision means that the over 95 percent of players who chose to wear a Pride jersey to support the community will now not get an opportunity to do so,” the organization said in a statement.
Canadian LGBTQ activist Fae Johnstone shared her disappointment on Twitter.
“When I was growing up as a closeted queer kid who loved hockey, it would’ve made my day to see teams wearing Pride jerseys. Would’ve sent a powerful message to my teammates too. Shame on the NHL Board of Governors for caving to bigotry,” she wrote.
Sports agent Allan Walsh also had harsh words for the NHL.
“The NHL’s decision to ban players from wearing specialty jerseys in pre-game warms up is gutless. Pride Night, Military Appreciation, Hockey Fights Cancer, Black History. 99% of players had no issues wearing a specialty jersey. Typical NHL, going 60 Miles per hour in reverse,” he said.
Stock photo from Pexels used under Creative Commons License.