Photo courtesy of Fanny Schertzer via Pro Stock Hockey
The National Hockey League banned the use of pride stick tape during all games, warm-ups, and practices earlier this month, sparking controversy.
By Kate Vavra ’26
Staff Writer
The National Hockey League recently announced a ban on the use of Pride Tape by players during games, warm-ups and practices, as reported by MSNBC.
The rainbow athletic tape has been utilized by many professional hockey players as a way to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and to promote a more inclusive athletic environment. Some members of the Mount Holyoke College hockey community were not shocked by this development.
“As someone who follows the NHL, the ban unfortunately didn’t come as a huge surprise,” Luci Campau ’25, a member of the Mount Holyoke ice hockey team, said. They suggested that this could be the NHL’s way of preventing discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in their fanbase, adding, “Instead of protecting queer players and fans, the NHL’s solution is to reduce homophobia by not giving homophobes anything to react to.”
Despite Pride Tape being used on players’ sticks for years, there has been a recent lack of support for the LGBTQ+ community within the NHL. Last year, after many players refused to wear pride jerseys for pride theme nights, the NHL moved to ban all themed jerseys.
Many teams have theme nights or programs to raise awareness for various causes besides Pride, such as the Caps Care program run by the Washington Capitals or the Hockey Fights Cancer program, as stated on the NHL website. The NHL’s move restricts the mobilization of the professional athletic community to support movements such as LGBTQ+ awareness, cancer support and veteran appreciation.
The ban on Pride Tape, although connected to the ban on themed jerseys, is a separate issue, as Pride tape was never a requirement for players. However, those who wanted to use it to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community had the option.
Campau stated that they “appreciated pride tape because it wasn't something that players had to do — it was something they chose to do and could be worn at any time, not just during Pride Nights … it was always a cool experience to see a player choosing to use pride tape.”
Hannah Clark ’26, another member of the ice hockey team, shared a similar reaction to the ban. “This tape means more than most people think — it's a reflection of our identities and place in the sport that often feels like it doesn't include us,” she said. “In a sport that feels like a ‘boy’s’ club, it feels empowering to be represented.”
Pride Tape, a product backed by Kickstarter since 2015, was founded to inspire LGBTQ+ youth to become more involved in sports. When professionals began endorsing the tape, it brought forth the idea that there is space and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community within athletics. “Queer visibility, acceptance or even just tolerance coming from idolized professionals can do wonders in changing biased perspectives,” Clark added.
Many individuals have pointed out that the ban defies the NHL’s rulebook, which states that “adhesive tape of any color may be wrapped around the stick,” MSNBC reports. Movements against the ban are underway throughout the United States and Canada, as many NHL players have spoken on how they believe this ban is a big step backward for hockey and the athletic community, The Athletic reported.
Dr. Kristopher Wells, a co-founder of Pride Tape, believes there will be enough pushback from professional players to have the NHL reverse the policy, “I don’t think the door is closed. We’ve certainly had players wanting to order Pride Tape and telling us they’re going to look for ways to use it themselves,” Wells said in an interview with The Athletic. “[The players] are not going to let the NHL deter them from showing support.”
Some players, such as Scott Laughton and Joe Merrill, have already expressed how they plan to keep using Pride Tape despite the current policies. Acts of resistance to the ban may suggest a potential reversal in policy in the future.