NHL Reverses Ban on Colored Stick Tape

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Image copyright: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Sport [via Getty Images]

The Facts

  • The National Hockey League (NHL) announced Tuesday that it has reversed its previous ban on using stick tape to express support for social causes, including LGBTQ+ issues. Players “now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.”

  • The previous policy, issued in June, forbade teams from wearing “specialty” jerseys during warmups, practices, or games during nights that supported causes, including Pride and military appreciation.

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The Spin

Left narrative

The NHL should be applauded not just for allowing freedom of expression but for breaking the age-old stigma around LGBTQ+ issues in society. Players shouldn't have to risk their careers for simply using rainbow tape — thankfully, the league has come to its senses and put itself on the right side of history.

LGBTQ Nation

Right narrative

While the left attempts to portray this issue as the NHL imposing widespread censorship on its players, the truth is that the league has been caving to a minuscule group of activists. The league should keep politics and its extreme left causes out of sports. If its fanbase is anything like the NFL’s, the NHL should be ready for a backlash in response to its virtue signaling.

Stand Up Republican

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