“The league has used language in recent days that would prohibit the tape from any proximity to NHL hockey. We hope the league — and teams — will again show commitment to this important symbol of combating homophobia,” Pride Tape said in a statement.

The NHL announced in June that teams were no longer allowed to wear “specialty” jerseys during warmups, practices or games. The unilateral ban followed a season in which several players refused to take part in warmups when their teams wore Pride night jerseys. Defenseman Ivan Provorov, then of the Philadelphia Flyers, was the first player to opt out in January, citing his Russian Orthodox religion. Because of these objections, individual teams, including the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks, decided not to have any players wear Pride jerseys in warmups.

[Pride Tape is an “important symbol of combating homophobia”? Who knew wrapping rainbow tape around a hockey stick was so powerful? Pride Tape seems mainly concerned about the impact the ban will have on its bottom line. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants to avoid the disputes that erupted when teams *required* players to wear these political statements. It’s a smart policy, and too bad if that means Pride Tape gets overlooked. — Ed]