NHL Clarifies Stance on Pride Night Jerseys, Other Initiatives in Memo to Teams

The NHL sent a memo to teams on Thursday clarifying the league's new rules on special initiatives like Pride Night or Hockey Is For Everyone Night, according to ESPN's Ryan S. Clark.

Per that report, "the intended purpose of the initial memo was to inform teams that they cannot wear any specialty sweaters during a game, in warmups or at an official team practice," while teams additionally "can't force players to participate in events regarding those specialty causes given there might be players who fear some sense of retribution or embarrassment for their decision to not participate."

Such events became a major point of controversy around the NHL last season after several players refused to wear jerseys celebrating Pride Night and Hockey Is For Everyone Night, and seven players abstained from coming out for pregame warm-ups while their team was wearing such uniforms.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in June that the NHL would no longer allow teams to wear such speciality sweaters during warm-ups because "it's become a distraction," though teams can still hold events like Pride Night and sell Pride jerseys.

"Players who choose to model them can do that," he added. "It's really just the question of what's on the ice."

Thursday's updated memo mirrored those comments, noting that players and teams are permitted to "celebrate and support" such causes and that "players should be encouraged to express themselves off the ice" and can do "whatever they want" so long as it falls within team guidelines on dress codes.

While some players chose to not wear the uniforms, others came out in defense of the Pride jerseys.

"I know here in Edmonton we strongly believe hockey is for everyone and strongly support Pride Night," Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner and the league's most prominent superstar, told reporters last season. "We're looking forward to it. I think we were the first team to use the Pride tape in warm-ups, so we're firm believers in the celebration that is Pride Night."