Dermott won't continue with Pride Tape, but adds 'the war’s not over'

Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott does not plan to continue using Pride Tape after becoming the first player to stand in defiance of a league memo, but expects to use his platform to continue to support the LGBTQ+ community in other ways.

UPDATE: The NHL is rescinding its decision to prevent players from using Pride Tape on ice this season, with an official announcement expected later on Tuesday.

Dermott made headlines when he used the recently-banned Pride Tape on the shaft of his stick in Saturday's matinee game against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Newmarket, Ont. native told TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston in The Athletic that he has yet to hear from the league regarding the act but has elected not to continue using the tape, with his point made for now.

“The war’s not over. Definitely not, by any means,” Dermott said. “You don’t want to fully back off and zip your mouth up when something like this happens, but you’ve got to find the right game plan to attack it with.

“Where you’re supporting your organization and not making them look bad, and you don’t want to step on the league’s toes and really start a fight with them, but still tell them that I think this stuff’s important.”

The Canadian Press reported in early October that the NHL sent a memo to teams clarifying what players can and cannot do as part of theme celebrations this season, including a ban on the use of rainbow-coloured stick tape for Pride nights. 

When asked Saturday if Dermott would be fined or disciplined for going against the ban, the NHL told The Athletic “We will review it in due course," in a statement.

“You can see it as the league’s taking away our voice,” Dermott added to Johnston. “We can’t speak. We don’t have any of this expression anymore. I feel like that’s a valid way to think, and it’s easy to kind of see it that way. A lot of people do, and I’m sure will continue to.

“It’s such a fine line where the league wants to look good and the league wants to support all of these things, but you also don’t want all of the negativity that can come from someone not supporting it and you don’t want to force people who don’t support something to support something, and I completely understand that point of view.

“I can take a step back and see that, hands down, no problem. But at the same time, you’d love for players to still be able to express themselves if they would like. You’d love to still have that.”

Dermott, 26, is in his first season with the Coyotes after previously spending time with the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.