NHL Bans "Pride" Themed Items By: Jennifer Kate

I'm back with another blog combining two of my favorite topics, LGBTQIA and NHL, so I'm super excited about this blog. Still, I'm going to be yelling at a particular head of the NHL because this issue is entirely his fault. If you need to know who I am, I'm Jennifer Kate, a former Empty The Bench Podcast Network associate producer.

Let's get right into this one because, with this story, there is a lot to unpack, if i do say so myself. Still, if you haven't heard, the NHL has banned players from what they can and can't do as part of theme celebrations this season, including banning rainbow-colored stick tape for the pride nights. The update also says that on-ice player uniforms and gear for games, warmups, and official team practices cannot be altered to reflect theme nights such as pride, hockey fights, cancer, or military appreciation.

This ban had come with much backlash from fans and hockey community members, such as Brian Burke, who has spent six years as the NHL's Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. In a statement on social media, Burke said, "This is not inclusion or progress." Burke, now the President of the PWHL Players association, said, "Fans look forward to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that's been open for the last decade. Make no mistake, this is a surprising and serious setback."

Let's get to my opinion because I have a lot I need to say, and let's start with the obvious elephant in the room. Gary Bettman, this is all your fault. What the heck are you thinking? This is an awful move, and I guarantee that this will come with severe backlash from fans and multiple fans of the LGBTQIA community. This look for the NHL is just proving that they don't care about their fans and that they don't care about inclusion. They only did it to show it off because it was a "trendy thing." Honestly, just thinking about this makes me sick. As a huge NHL fan, I hate this move and feel the NHL needs to rethink this move. Not only this, but they also banned Pride Tape on player sticks, which I think is dumb. It's just colored tape on a "warmup" stick that won't even be used for a game.

Not only am I mad about the Pride night but also getting rid of one of the biggest "Pride" nights around the NHL, and no, I'm not talking about "Pride." I'm talking about Hockey Fights Cancer. This is usually the one night where all the fans come together to fight a horrible disease that's taken so many from us and is something bigger than all of us, and for the NHL to take that away is sickening (no pun intended). Still, this is another reason Gary Bettman needs to be removed from his position of power.

There is one final themed night we need to talk about because this is a big one for many people, and it also draws an extreme crowd reaction, and that is Military Appreciation Night. Getting rid of this night after A lot of teams work with Military families is again another really awful move, but once again, no other than our bozo head leader Gary Bettman with me. This is his final strike, and he needs to be removed from the NHL promptly and never be allowed to work in any sports job anywhere ever again if you ask me.

But anyway, that about sums it up for this blog. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I look forward to seeing you in the next one.