On Aug. 28, the Dallas Stars announced their official list of themed nights for the season. Fans were quick to point out that the schedule seemed a little different this year.
Each team hosts a handful of days throughout the season dedicated to a theme, including Hispanic Heritage, Black History, Hockey Fights Cancer, Military Appreciation, Women in Sports, Teacher Appreciation and First Responder Appreciation. A long-standing night included in the roster of most teams’ themed nights is Pride Night, an event usually held in partnership with the NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone initiative.
While Pride Night is often met with backlash from members of the hockey community, many continue to show up for the LGBTQ+ community. The NHL has banned the use of both Pride Tape and specialized jerseys during official games. However, teams often make specialized jerseys for walk-in pictures or use Pride Tape, a rainbow-colored alternative to the standard black or white tape, during warmups to show their support.
This year, the Dallas Stars’ promotional schedule was missing Pride Night. This makes it the first time in more than five years that the Stars have not hosted Pride Night. When asked by journalist Robert Tiffin about the missing night, spokesperson Joe Calvillo said, “The new Hockey Unites Night allows our organization to use our platform to celebrate and support a different underrepresented community each season.”
This season, the team’s Hockey Unites Night is dedicated to Women in Sports, replacing its usual Women in Sports Night. The statement has been criticized by commenters online.
“There are 40 home games. That’s a rather weak excuse,” one Reddit user wrote.
“I get I love a sport that doesn’t love me back, as a LGBTQ person, but it sucks when your team decides you’re not worth the effort anymore,” another said.
The Texas-based team has faced further criticism after combining its Hockey Fights Cancer and Teacher Appreciation Nights, both of which are taking place on Oct. 13 against the Colorado Avalanche, and adding themed nights such as Anime Night and ‘80s Night.
Dallas is not the only team removing Pride Night from its roster. The Vegas Golden Knights have omitted the event from their calendar, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have announced “Remix Nights,” which do not include Pride Night, Hockey Fights Cancer Night or Indigenous Pride Night. Both teams have received scrutiny for their decisions by fans.
Five teams have yet to release their schedules. Two teams, the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes, are hosting Hockey Is For Everyone Nights, which often focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, as well as Women in Sports Nights, but neither are hosting explicit Pride Nights. The St. Louis Blues are hosting a Hockey Is For Everyone Night but have yet to announce a Women in Sports Night.