NHL points up to date theme evening steerage, which features a ban on gamers utilizing Delight tape on the ice

NHL

The NHL determined in June to not permit groups to put on any theme jerseys for warmups after a handful of gamers opted out of these conditions throughout Delight evening final season.

FILE – Florida Panthers goaltender Alex Lyon (34) warms up whereas celebrating Delight Night time with a colourful hockey stick earlier than enjoying the Toronto Maple Leafs, Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Dawn, Fla. The NHL despatched a memo to groups final week clarifying what gamers might and couldn’t do as a part of theme nights this season, together with Delight celebrations that had turn out to be a hot-button situation in hockey. Deputy Commissioner Invoice Daly confirmed to The Related Press on Tuesday, Oct. 10, that the league despatched the up to date memo to groups.(AP Picture/Michael Laughlin, File) AP

By STEPHEN WHYNO, Related Press

The NHL despatched a memo to groups final week clarifying what gamers can and can’t do as a part of theme celebrations this season, together with a ban on using rainbow-colored stick tape for the Delight nights which have turn out to be a hot-button situation in hockey.

The up to date steerage reaffirms on-ice participant uniforms and equipment for warmups and official workforce practices can’t be altered to mirror theme nights, together with Delight, Hockey Fights Most cancers or army appreciation celebrations. Gamers can voluntarily take part in themed celebrations off the ice.

Deputy NHL Commissioner Invoice Daly confirmed to The Related Press on Tuesday, a number of hours earlier than the season opened with a trio of video games, that the league despatched the up to date memo, which was first reported by ESPN.

The NHL determined in June to not permit groups to put on any theme jerseys for warmups after a handful of gamers opted out of these conditions throughout Delight evening final season. The league has stated gamers opting out of Delight nights served as a distraction to the work its groups have been doing in the neighborhood.

“You understand what our objectives, our values and our intentions are throughout the league, whether or not it’s on the league stage or on the membership stage,” Commissioner Gary Bettman stated in February throughout All-Star Weekend festivities. “However we additionally need to respect some particular person selection, and a few individuals are extra snug embracing themselves in causes than others. And a part of being various and welcoming is knowing these variations.”

Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov was the primary participant to resolve not to participate in warmups when the Flyers wore rainbow-colored jerseys earlier than their Delight evening sport in January, citing his Russian Orthodox faith. Six different gamers adopted for a wide range of causes — fellow Russians Ilya Lyubushkin, Denis Gurianov and Andrei Kuzmenko and Canadians James Reimer and Eric and Marc Staal — and particular person groups together with the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks determined to not have any gamers put on Delight jerseys in warmup.

A message despatched to the makers of Delight Tape searching for remark was not instantly returned.