TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott — who gained notoriety for openly defying the NHL’s temporary ban on Pride-themed tape last week — did not suit up for the Coyotes annual Pride Night game on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings. The Coyotes would go on to fall 5-4 to the Kings.
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Thirty minutes prior to puck drop, the Coyotes announced Dermott would miss Friday’s contest with an illness.
As Coyotes players took to the ice for the pregame warmup at Mullett Arena, none of them opted to use Pride-themed tape on their sticks.
The Coyotes are the first NHL team to host a regular-season Pride Night game in the 2023-24 campaign.
NHL rules around Pride nights, specifically, came into the spotlight last season as some players took issue with participating in them. Multiple players and teams opted to not wear the Pride warmup jerseys, citing religious reasons or safety concerns.
In June, the NHL’s board of governors implemented new measures around themed games, restricting NHL clubs from wearing specialty jerseys. The initial ruling also banned players from using Pride-themes tape on their sticks while on the ice.
But earlier this week, the league reversed course, stating that players “will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season” after consulting with the NHL players’ union and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition.
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(Photo of Michael Carcone during Friday’s warmup: Norm Hall / NHLI via Getty Images)
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