Morgan Rielly sounds off on NHL after Pride Tape ban
The NHL banned the use of pride-colored tape league-wide this week. In response, the league faced all kinds of backlash for the decision, one person including Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly.
“I wish players had the right to kind of do more and be more involved,” Rielly told the media Tuesday, including TSN. “I’m going to continue to be involved in the community and offer support to those communities and those groups that want that (and) need that.
“As players, we’re going to continue to be involved pretty much no matter what the league says.”
Last season, the NHL put its foot down for the first time against the pride movement. Banning all alternative warmup jerseys, including pride jerseys. The league faced backlash for the ban, especially from LGBTQ+ artist Mio Linzie, who collaborated with the league in the past with warmup jerseys.
“It doesn’t only affect the LGBTQ+ community but it also affects other marginalized communities, as the warmup jerseys is a primary part of community outreach and charity within the NHL,” he said. “It’s also been a space for artists to express themselves and be able to create unique work under the NHL — and that venue has now partly been taken away.”
But Rielly wasn’t the only Maple Leaf that had something to say about the tape ban. Toronto general manager Brad Treliving also expressed his opinion on the matter.
“Regardless of what is out there, this organization, myself personally, we’ve always been supporters of the LGBTQ community,” he said. “Nothing is going to change with that.”
Rielly has been vocal about the subject in the past, and will continue to support the LGBTQ+ through and through, no matter what rules the NHL implements.
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