The Boston Bruins are the latest NHL team to hold an LGBTQ+ inclusion night, despite the league’s misguided efforts to tamper down Pride events.
On Sunday, the Bruins hosted their annual “Hockey is for Everyone Night,” celebrating the NHL’s wide array of fans. Before puck drop, they welcomed representatives of inclusive hockey organizations onto the ice for a pre-game ceremony.
Following a smattering of controversies, the NHL banned the use of Pride jerseys and tape, only to reverse course when Arizona Coyotes player Travis Dermott openly defied the edict. Despite the league’s ruling, the defenseman wrapped his stick in Pride tape, anyway.
Days later, the NHL reversed the errant policy. (For some reason, the league is still enforcing aspects of its advocacy-uniform ban, threatening Minnesota Wild goalie Marc Andre-Fleury for wearing a mask celebrating his wife’s Native American heritage.)
Multiple Bruins players followed Dermott’s lead Sunday, also wrapping their sticks in rainbow tape.
Fans lauded them for the gesture, outside of a few homophobic outliers.
King shit
— Lauren (@bigbruinsenergy) December 4, 2023
this brings me so much joy
— maddox (17-4-3) (@maddoxreksten) December 4, 2023
Those are leaders!
— Tweeter (@RWilsonK18) December 4, 2023
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
— ❄️anika🎄🍉 (@maaackinnon) December 4, 2023
One of the best teams in hockey, the Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. As an added bonus, the first NHL player who refused to wear Pride regalia last season, Ivan Provorov, plays for Columbus.
Ultimate troll scheduling this when playing against Provorov.
— Jake DeBrusk Hand Pass (@Noirblancetor) December 4, 2023
The star of Sunday’s affair was Brad Marchand, who pulled off a hat trick (scoring three goals in one game). It was a well-timed triumph, considering the team captain is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ people.
A few years back, the Stanley Cup champion lashed out at a fan who fired off a homophobic barb against him on social media.
The fan was so humiliated, he wound up deleting his account.
“This derogatory statement is offensive to so many people around the world,” posted Marchand. “[You’re] the kind of kid parents are ashamed of.”
Marchand is also on the record saying he would accept an out gay teammate, along with the rest of the locker room.
“Guys would accept that, no question,” he said. “We’re a team in the [dressing] room and a family. It doesn’t matter what different beliefs guys have, or where they come from, or whatever the case may be. Guys would accept it. Again, in the room we’re a family. That’s the way it is on a hockey team, and that’s the way it will always be.”
As a team leader, the 15-year veteran’s open attitude towards inclusion spreads to other players. Star forward David Pastrnak, for example, once wore a rainbow shirt to the Celtics’ Pride Night.
The Bruins, who share TD Garden with the Celtics, decked out the arena with rainbow balloons.
And balloons are the icing on the pridefilled cake 🙏
— New York based Kraken Fan (@aesthetic__80s) December 4, 2023
Wait those are so cool
— Adam Rosen (@arrosen76) December 4, 2023
With a 17-4-3 record, the Bruins are outpacing the rest of the NHL on the ice.
They’re doing the same in terms of Pride, too.
Fahd
Kudos to Marchand and the Boston Bruins, a legacy team from before. Great role model and leadershp!
ZzBomb
People who look at any celebrations of Pride as anything but cheerful, inclusive, and up-lifting just want to be miserable sticks in the mud who clearly made all the wrong choices in life.
Change my mind.
Celtic
The sad fact is there are a LOT of haters “out there” and they have become more public with their hate. State legislatures across the board are voting in anti-gay policies and laws. I have yet to understand why we gays are such a threat.
abfab
It’s career day in elementry school where each student talks about what their dad does. Little Johnny is last, and finally the teacher calls on him to talk about his dad. Johnny comes to the front of the class. ‘My daddy is a dancer at a gay bar. He takes off his clothes for other men, and if they pay him enough money, he goes into the alley and performs sex acts on them.’ The teacher is shocked, and she calls for an early recess for the rest of the class. She sits down with Johnny and asks him if this is really true about his dad. Johnny says; ‘No, but I was too embarrassed to say he played for the New York Rangers.’
Thad
^Although I hate the Rangers, they do Pride well. I have a tote with the Rangers logo in rainbow from a previous Pride game.
I’m going to the Pride game at the Nashville Predators next April 9.
abfab
They certainly do.^
wikidBSTN
Love the Bruins. Love Boston. Love New England. 🙂
Baron Wiseman
I just love it when people I don’t know, nor care about validate my sexuality.
All that virtue signaling and approval seeking makes me feel warm and fuzzy. 🙂
storm45701
Who hurt you?
Baron Wiseman
@storm45701
No one. That is why I don’t need strangers to validate me.
Jaesly
@Baron
Why does this bother you so much. Sure, it is just empty virtue signaling, but who does it hurt but the haters?