Bisexual ice hockey star slams "spineless" NHL commissioner after Pride Tape ban
Manchester Storm star Zach Sullivan has hit out at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's "spineless" decision to ban the use of Pride Tape ahead of the new season.
A memo sent to all teams last week stated that players would no longer be permitted to use the tape on their sticks at any point in the campaign, including Pride Nights. It follows the banning of Pride jerseys after last year's controversy that saw seven players refuse to wear them.
Pride Tape has been used for a number of years as a way for players to show their support for the LGBT+ community. But now it has been banned, with Sullivan, who is bisexual, taking aim at Bettman.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport, Sullivan said: "It's for the fans, it's for that team-mate that might be struggling. So I was disappointed but not surprised, which is probably more damning.
"There are so many great people within ice hockey, not just in the UK, but in North America as well, who are trying their utmost week in and week out, trying to make it more inclusive. I think it's just a massive step backwards when progress is finally being made.
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"It's frustrating because of how much so many good people put into it. [It is an] Ill-informed, ridiculous, pretty spineless move from this commissioner, who doesn't have a great track record when it comes to this kind of thing."
Several players have spoken out against the move, revealing they will continue to wear the tape. That has been welcomed by Sullivan, who insisted that the LGBT+ community needed their allies in the sport to stand up against the NHL.
British pro Zach Sullivan, who is bisexual, has slammed NHL bosses (Dean Woolley)"People talk about allyship and wanting to be a visible ally. But it's at times like this, when it's not convenient to show your support, when it matters the most. Quite a few players in the NHL have come and said they're going to use it anyway," he added.
"So I think that could have a powerful impact, watching those players step out onto the ice. Already at the games over the last few days, there were signs showing disagreement with the decision.
"It's easy to show allyship when things are going well and there's team-mandated Pride Nights. It's easy to throw on a pride jersey and use rainbow tape on those nights. But now it's inconvenient for those allies it almost resonates more than if it was on Pride Nights."
Sullivan also condemned the NHL Players' Association, who have remained silent on the issue. The Storm defenceman admitted he was concerned with the direction that ice hockey is going in.
"It's disappointing the NHL Players' Association haven't come out and said anything. But I think that silence is damning in itself," he said.
"If you can't spend one night celebrating a minority group who come out in droves to watch this fantastic sport then there's something inherently wrong with the society within that sport.
"It's such a simple thing to put on a colourful jersey once a season. But for some people, it means the absolute world and it makes their lives and their journeys so much easier. So I'm incredibly disappointed with the NHL but I'm not surprised."
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