NHL reverses course on Pride Tape ban after Coyotes’ Travis Dermott defies policy

The NHL reversed course on Tuesday, announcing that players will again have the option to use Pride Tape and other stick tape throughout the season “in support of social causes” after Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott became the first player to openly defy the ban over the weekend. 

The league issued a brief statement announcing the policy change: 

“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.” 

COYOTES DEFENSEMAN TRAVIS DERMOTT USES PRIDE TAPE IN HOME OPENER, BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO DEFY NHL BAN

The use of Pride Tape and specialty jerseys became a fierce topic of debate last season when several players voiced their opposition to partaking in Pride Night celebrations. 

Commissioner Gary Bettman said in an interview with Sportsnet following a Board of Governors meeting in New York in June that themed jerseys would no longer be worn on the ice as they had become “a distraction from really the essence of what the purpose of these nights are.”

Then, prior to the start of the regular season, the NHL issued a memo to all clubs,  announcing that in addition to no longer allowing the wearing of specialty jerseys, the league was also banning the use of rainbow-colored stick tape during warm-ups or games.

The league faced backlash over the policy online when Dermott, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Coyotes in the offseason, was spotted using the tape during a game on Saturday night. 

“We are so very grateful to everyone who believes hockey should be a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for all,” the makers of Pride Tape said in a statement. “We are extremely happy that NHL players will now have the option to voluntarily represent important social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.”

The Coyotes are set to host Pride Night on Friday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.