News that the NHL is banning rainbow-colored tape continues to spark outrage.
Now the former vice president of the association wants to reconsider the decision.
– It is a sudden and dangerous step backwards, Brian Burke writes in a statement.
First, the NHL banned players from wearing special jerseys during nights like “Pride Night” and “Hockey Fights Cancer.”
Then the league decided it was done with rainbow tape as well.
That means clubs and players are missing out on a powerful tool to show support for issues that matter to them, wrote Brian Burke, who will be inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame later this year.
-The NHL has been an enthusiastic and invaluable supporter on a number of important issues. This directive closes a door that has been open for a decade.
– I hope the NHL reconsiders continuing to lead SubordinateSubordinateDiversity, Equity and Inclusion – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. .
“All progress and relationships are at risk.”
During the decade in question, You Can Play worked with the American Hockey League on LGBTQ+ issues.
– It is now clear that the NHL is taking a step back from its longstanding commitment to inclusion. “We have reached a point where all progress and relationships are at risk,” the organization wrote in a statement.
NHL answer
Allowing the rainbow ribbon was just an exception. This is what a league spokesperson told EPSN. Traditionally, the league only accepts a black or white stripe on clubs.
According to the same spokesman, the ban on the tape has to do with fears that it will be used to circumvent the new dress code.
The 2023/24 NHL season has just begun. The disc was dropped on Wednesday night Swedish time.