The NHL has joined the MLB in advising teams to stop wearing 'Pride' jerseys.
According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, teams should no longer wear specialty-themed jerseys during warm-ups, including Pride-themed jerseys.
Following Major League Baseball's announcement last week that teams would not put Pride logos on players' uniforms, and after a handful of NHL players refused to wear Pride sweaters or participate in their teams' Pride Nights due to personal beliefs, the decision was made. Some hockey teams chose not to wear their planned Pride Night warmup jerseys.
"I've suggested that it would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys in warmups because it's become a distraction and taking away from the fact that all of our clubs, in some form or another, host nights in honor of various groups or causes, and we'd rather them continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction," Bettman told Canadian broadcaster Sportsnet after the league's board of governors meeting on Thursday.
According to the NHL, the commissioner's recommendation applies to all specially-themed warmup jerseys. Bettman stated that the league will continue to support its teams by hosting charity nights.
"Thirty-two of our clubs held Pride nights, some held Heritage nights, everyone participated in Hockey Fights Cancer, and some held military nights." "All of those nights will go on," he promised. "The only difference will be that we will not change jerseys for warmup because it has become more of a distraction from the essence of what these nights are."
Bettman also confirmed that NHL Pride jerseys will continue to be designed and sold and that players are free to wear them off the ice.
MLB made a similar decision last week, citing "the desire to protect players."
At a news conference on June 15, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated, "We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases, that we don't think putting (Pride) logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players and not put them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views."
"Other than that, we really leave it up to individual clubs to decide on their promotional nights," Manfred added. "From a process standpoint, we advise them on what we believe they should do." It is truly a local activity, almost by necessity, because each market is in the best position to determine what is good in its market - what activations make sense."
According to a source familiar with the situation, MLB players are permitted to wear Pride apparel during pregame warm-ups and Pride-themed accessories during games. MLB teams may also display Pride logos on outfield walls and field stencils.
