A rainbow-coloured strip was played on the club – defying the ban

New York. Arizona State’s Travis Dermott was hailed as a hero by LGBTQ activists last night.

In a game against Anaheim, he chose to break the new NHL regulations and played with a colored stripe on his stick.

— meaning as much as possible, says Jeff McLean, co-founder of the Pride Tape campaign.

Reaction was strong when, prior to this season, the NHL not only decided to remove special jerseys during game warmups — for example in support of the LGBTQ movement — but also banned individual players from showing their support by taping their sticks with rainbow-colored tape.

But now it appears the league may have a rebellion on its neck. In the Arizona Coyotes’ home opener against the Anaheim Ducks at Mullett Arena last night, quarterback Travis Dermott wrapped the blade around the blocking tape.

– That means everything. Action like this is very powerful and shows that one person can make a big difference, Jeff McLean of the Pride Tape campaign tells The Athletic.

Dermott – who also played during his eight-year NHL career with Toronto and Vancouver – was also praised by Brian Burke, general manager of a number of clubs over the years.

– Trevor remains a brave ally of the LGBTQ movement. I hope more players follow his example, Burke wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

It doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Several, including Scott Laughton in Philadelphia and John Merrill in Minnesota, have already indicated they intend to ignore the league’s new rules.

It is unknown if the NHL intends to punish Travis Dermott for tonight’s violation.

– We will review the matter at the appropriate time, according to a statement by the league administration.