The National Hockey League has lifted its controversial ban on using stick tape to support social causes during games and practices, including rainbow-colored pride tape.
"After consultation with the NHL Players' Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, players will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season," the NHL said in a statement Tuesday.
The league earlier this month banned the use of rainbow-colored pride tape, causing backlash among players and longtime executive Brian Burke.
Arizona's Travis Dermott defied the ban over the weekend by putting rainbow-colored tape on his stick for a game.
The makers of Pride Tape lauded the reversal.
"We are so very grateful to everyone who believes hockey should be a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for all," the group wrote Wednesday in a post on X. "We are extremely happy that NHL players will now have the option to voluntarily represent important social causes with their stick tape throughout season."
The NHL Players' Association also said it was "pleased to see the league's policy has been revised so that players are free to support causes they believe in."
Trevor van Riemsdyk of the Washington Capitals, a longtime user of pride tape, said earlier this month of the ban: "There's still a lot we can do and a lot of ways we can make people feel welcome and included, so hopefully that doesn't deter guys. A lot of guys, maybe this will just spur them forward to maybe make it more of a point to do things, whether it's away from the rink or whatever it may be."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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