Travis Dermott has decided to ignore the NHL’s decision to ban the rainbow ribbon in warm-ups and games this season. The Arizona Coyotes defenseman used it on the handle of his stick on Saturday during a game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Dermott is the first player to defy the NHL’s decision.
The said decision, revealed a few weeks ago by the Outsports blog, strictly prohibits players from putting rainbow-colored adhesive tape on their stick. This decision follows one made at the end of the 2022-23 season; the commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced to the teams that they would no longer wear thematic jerseys at all, regardless of the cause supported.
When asked by The Athletic about possible disciplinary action against Dermott, the League responded that it “will review the matter in due course.” Since Saturday, it has been radio silence.
In an interview with The Athletic, rainbow ribbon co-founder Jeff McLean said Dermott plans to use the ribbon on a regular basis throughout the current season. According to him, this position sends “a powerful message”.
Dermott’s decision also caused a lot of discussion on social networks throughout the weekend. The openly homosexual ex-hockey player Brock McGillis notably spoke via the “I believe Travis deserves the right to choose to use ribbon to show his support for marginalized communities, and I also believe players should have the choice not to use it,” he said.
Brian Burke, former general manager of several NHL teams, executive director of the new Professional Women’s Hockey League and great defender of the cause, also spoke out. “Travis continues to be a courageous leader for the LGBTQ community,” he wrote on X. “I hope other players follow his example. »
Dermott has often demonstrated his support for the LGBTQ community in recent years. In an interview with ESPN in 2021, he mentioned that members of his family were part of the community. “I would like to take the lead and, in the future, support them more vigorously,” he said at the time.
Since everything is in everything; On October 27, less than a week from now, the Coyotes will host the first Pride Night of the season during their game against the Los Angeles Kings. Last season, Pride Nights made headlines after players refused to wear multi-colored jerseys during their respective team’s warm-ups, citing security concerns in Russia and religious beliefs, among other things.