NHL’s biggest stars ‘disappointed’ over Pride jersey ban

A major US sport has made a huge decision to ban a jersey, which has seen two of its biggest stars publicly slam the call.

The NHL have banned the jerseys. Photo: Getty Images

Two of the NHL’s biggest stars expressed their disappointment over the league’s decision to do away with specially themed warm-up jerseys next season.

Both Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning spoke out against the decision, which came after a handful of players opted against wearing Pride-themed jerseys and several teams that scrapped plans entirely to wear them on planned LBGTQ+ nights last season.

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the extra attention from the jerseys a “distraction” last week in an interview with Sportsnet.

“It’s disappointing to see,” McDavid, this year’s Hart Trophy winner, said Monday night after the NHL Awards, according to the Canadian Press.

“It’s not my call, but obviously it’s disappointing.”

The decision to do away with the themed warm-up jerseys does not mean that the initiatives they support will completely disappear.

NHL clubs will continue to have Pride nights, military appreciation nights among others without the special jerseys.

The Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson in the Pride night warm-up jersey. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils’ Tomas Tatar in his club’s Pride jersey. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Teams are still also welcome to design special jerseys and auction them off.

But the issue that bothered Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors was the attention that was drawn to the players that had opted out of wearing the Pride jerseys.

Stamkos called that part particularly disappointing.

“It was 98 per cent or 99 per cent of other players that wore the jersey and enjoyed wearing it and were proud wearing it, whatever jersey it was, whether it was the Pride, the military night, the cancer nights,” Stamkos told reporters Monday.

“The story shouldn’t be about the guy that didn’t wear it, the one guy or the two guys. I understand that’s what gets the clicks and that’s what gets the views, but the word ‘distraction’ gets thrown around.

“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.”

Three-time MVP Connor McDavid. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

All 32 NHL clubs did have Pride-themed nights during the season.

But seven players drew the spotlight when they decided against wearing the jerseys for religious or for various other reasons.

And some teams that had originally planned to wear Pride jerseys scrapped the idea at the last minute, including the Rangers.

“I certainly can’t speak for every organisation,” McDavid added. “I know in Edmonton, we were one of the first teams to use the Pride tape.

“We strongly feel hockey is for everybody, and that includes the Pride nights.”

The NHL has not been the only league that has dealt with this controversy, as Major League Baseball has also run into drama over Pride nights and themed jerseys.

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

Originally published as NHL’s biggest stars ‘disappointed’ over Pride jersey ban