Pride tape makers disappointed with NHL’s ban
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The makers of Pride Tape are “extremely disappointed” by the NHL’s decision to ban players from using the rainbow-colored stick tape in support of the LGBTQ+ community this season.
“The league has used language in recent days that would prohibit the tape from any proximity to NHL hockey. We hope the league — and teams — will again show commitment to this important symbol of combating homophobia,” Pride Tape said in a statement.
The NHL announced in June that teams were no longer allowed to wear “specialty” jerseys during warmups, practices or games. The unilateral ban followed a season in which several players refused to take part in warmups when their teams wore Pride night jerseys. Defenseman Ivan Provorov, then of the Philadelphia Flyers, was the first player to opt out in January, citing his Russian Orthodox religion. Because of these objections, individual teams, including the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks, decided not to have any players wear Pride jerseys in warmups.
The ban on “specialty” jerseys goes beyond Pride nights to include those supporting causes such as Hockey Fights Cancer and jerseys commemorating Black and Latino heritage months and military appreciation.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that the league’s new policy has been “terribly misunderstood and mis-portrayed” and that the NHL still encourages “specialty nights where groups of all different types are honored and consciousness is raised.” The NHL also donates funds to groups involved in the specialty nights.
“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. 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,'” Bettman told ESPN Radio’s “UnSportsmanLike” on Tuesday.
“Anything around the game, anything off the ice. Our teams and our players are continuously encouraged to give back to the communities and get involved in the causes that they find important,” he continued. “But what I think we did is we took the distraction away. And so now the concentration can be on the causes that we want to highlight.”
Last week, the NHL sent a memo to teams that clarified what players were allowed to do during theme night celebrations this season. Although they can voluntarily participate in themed celebrations off the ice, the updated guidance reaffirmed that on-ice player uniforms and gear worn in warmups, official team practices and games cannot be altered to reflect “specialty” theme nights.
An NHL spokesperson told ESPN that Pride tape had been allowed for years as an exception to its stick tape restrictions, which otherwise would allow players to use only black or white tape. The league said the current ban on Pride tape was to prevent teams and players from using it as an “end around” to violate the new uniform policy.
Stickers and ribbons are also banned from player uniforms, although coaches are allowed to wear ribbons.
Like the game-worn theme night jerseys, NHL players’ sticks wrapped with Pride tape were auctioned off by teams to raise money for charity. Depending on the player, a game-worn autographed jersey could fetch well over $1,500. An autographed Pride tape stick from a player could range anywhere from $600 to $1,000.
Jeff McLean, a co-founder of Pride Tape, said proceeds of the auctions would benefit You Can Play, the NHL’s longtime social activism partner; would help local LGBTQ+ charities in many NHL cities; and would be used to fund the donation of Pride Tape to hockey organizations around the world.
Both McLean and the NHL said their relationship will continue despite the player tape ban. The NHL has helped ship Pride Tape to different hockey teams and leagues. Pride Tape expects to have a presence at Pride night events around the league this season.
McLean, who was informed of the ban last week, praised the league’s role in growing the initiative. “Pride Tape would not exist without the NHL,” he said.
Pride Tape was launched six years ago as a symbolic way for players to show their support of the LGBTQ+ community. NHL stars such as Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils participated in the effort.
“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 said Tuesday.
“Is it something that I’d like to see back into place one day? Certainly,” McDavid added.
Ironically, McLean said his organization chose stick tape because it “didn’t want to have something that players had to do” as a team mandate to support the LGBTQ+ community.
“We knew it wouldn’t be accepted by everyone, but it was a way for there to be personal expression by players,” said McLean, who has also worked with the Premier Lacrosse League, baseball and softball leagues, and most recently a rugby league on Pride tape initiatives. “What we learned about the tape is that it was a personal choice by players.”
McLean said he has gotten no indication that the NHL might reconsider the ban, which was met with widespread pushback after Outsports broke the story Monday.
“It’s really weird, but I’m actually optimistic about this,” McLean said. “When the Provorov thing happened, we had our biggest 48 hours afterward. There are so many people who care.”
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Mason Heintschel threw for 321 yards and connected with Desmond Reid on a pair of touchdown passes as Pittsburgh handed No. 25 Florida State its third straight conference loss on Saturday.
A true freshman, Heintschel completed 21 of 29 passes and had a pair of second-quarter interceptions in the 34-31 win. He has surpassed 300 passing yards in both of his starts, building off a rout of Boston College last week with a road upset of the Seminoles.
Reid had eight catches for 155 yards and 10 carries for 38 yards for Pittsburgh (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
The Panthers closed as 11.5-point underdogs before the game, making the victory their largest upset since beating No. 2 Miami in 2017 as 12-point underdogs, according to ESPN Research.
After a promising start to the season, Florida State (3-3, 0-3) is in free fall following losses to Virginia, Miami and now Pittsburgh. Mike Norvell’s team has failed to defeat an ACC opponent since a win over California more than a year ago.
Tommy Castellanos completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards for the Seminoles on Saturday, including a pair of touchdowns to Micahi Danzy — 58 yards in the fourth quarter and 33 yards in the second quarter.
But after FSU went ahead 24-21 on Jake Weinberg‘s 34-yard field goal attempt, Florida State fumbled at midfield and then went three-and-out. Later, while trailing 34-24, came Castellanos’ 58-yarder to Danzy.
The Panthers finished with a pair of field goals and then Ja’Kyrian Turner’s 3-yard touchdown run capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with 2:28 left.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Ty Simpson threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including the clincher on fourth down to Daniel Hill with 3:16 to go, and eighth-ranked Alabama held off No. 14 Missouri 27-24 on Saturday to give the Crimson Tide their fifth consecutive win.
Jam Miller added 85 yards rushing before leaving with a concussion in the fourth quarter, and Kevin Riley and Isaiah Horton also had TD catches for Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC), which has won seven straight over Missouri dating to Sept. 8, 1975.
“Nobody flinched,” Simpson said afterward, scanning over the final box score. “We’re going to keep punching.”
Beau Pribula kept punching for the Tigers (5-1, 1-1), too, hitting Donovan Olugbode for a touchdown with 1:39 left. And after the Crimson Tide pounced on the onside kick, Missouri forced a quick punt to get the ball back with 1:17 still on the clock.
Pribula connected with Olugbode again on fourth down to get close to midfield, but he followed with two incompletions. Then on third down, Pribula overshot his target and was picked off by Alabama defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. to put the game away.
The loss ended the Tigers’ 15-game home winning streak, the second-longest nationally.
“We had an opportunity,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Proud of the way our defense fought. Proud of the way our offense fought. Ultimately we just had too many critical mistakes in critical situations.”
Pribula finished with 167 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also was the Tigers’ most effective runner with 61 yards and another score. The nation’s leading rusher, Ahmad Hardy, was held to just 52 yards.
“We did the job. Got the job done,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Each side of the ball, we covered for each other.”
Missouri got off to a good start, seemingly stunning Alabama on its opening drive. It took just six plays to march 78 yards, and Pribula threw a nifty lob to tight end Brett Norfleet down the sideline for a 26-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Yet the Crimson Tide not only regained their composure, they regained control.
Simpson was nearly perfect on an answering TD drive. And after Missouri went three-and-out, the junior QB drove the Crimson Tide downfield again, zipping a pass to Horton on third-and-long for a 16-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-7.
After each team added a field goal before halftime, Missouri took advantage of Simpson’s fumble – his only big mistake – on the first play of the second half. Pribula juked his way into the end zone three plays later to tie the game 17-all.
Yet the Tigers were never able to regain the lead.
Conor Talty added a go-ahead field goal later in the third quarter for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide stopped Missouri on fourth down midway through the fourth quarter, shoving Jamal Roberts out of bounds just shy of the marker; replays appeared to show the running back reaching the ball far enough for a first down, but the spot was upheld by the officials.
Alabama took over and, after Simpson converted on fourth-and-8 with a throw to freshman Lotzeir Brooks, the SEC’s top passer found Hill in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the Missouri 2 with just over three minutes remaining to put it out of reach.
“We preached all week – shoot, all year – to be elite in critical situations,” Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. “I think it’s just our team. We pride ourselves on being unbreakable. We know we’re going to execute in those situations.”
Missouri wrapped up its season-opening homestand by losing at Faurot Field for the first time since Oct. 7, 2023.
Alabama returns home to play No. 12 Tennessee next Saturday.
Missouri plays its first road game against Auburn the same day.
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