The NHL has issued two memos to clarify its guidelines regarding theme nights and special initiatives, according to a report from ESPN. The first memo caused confusion, prompting the league to send out a second memo to provide further clarification.
The NHL faced criticism during the 2022-23 season for its handling of special initiatives, particularly Pride Nights. To avoid similar issues in the 2023-24 season, each team received a memo titled “Game and Practice-Related Special Initiatives” last week.
However, the first memo did not have the desired impact and instead raised more questions for some teams. There were concerns about a section of the memo that discussed players and coaches participating in themed nights.
Teams were unsure if players and coaches could engage in activities as simple as holding up signs on “Hockey Fights Cancer” nights. The second memo from the NHL provided more clarity, specifically focusing on wearing specialty jerseys during warmups or practices, which league commissioner Gary Bettman considers a distraction.
Under the new policy, teams are no longer allowed to use themed jerseys and cannot force players to take part in events related to special initiatives.
During the previous season, the NHL received criticism when a few players chose not to participate in warmups on Pride Nights. Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers and James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks cited their religious beliefs as the main reason for not participating.
There was also concern that Russian players who wore Pride Night warmup jerseys would face consequences when they returned home due to anti-LGBTQ laws in their country. As a result, several teams decided not to wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys at all, despite originally planning to do so.
