San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn is reportedly the latest person in the NHL to join the revolt agains the NHL and its squashing of players’ voices and Pride Tape.
During a segment on NBC Sports California, reporter Tara Slone said she asked Quinn how he would handle it if a player tries to use Pride Tape on his stick during the Sharks’ Pride Night in January.
“I unequivocally support that,” Slone said Quinn told the media. The Hockey News also reported the exchange.
The conversation on NBC Sports starts at 1:58 below:
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.@TaraSlone gave her thoughts on the NHL's decision to ban Pride Tape and shared what David Quinn said about the possibility of his players still using it pic.twitter.com/HMqgBcwmnD
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) October 20, 2023
Various players across the league have talked about using Pride Tape despite the NHL’s ban.
Scott Hannan, one of the studio hosts who played in the NHL for over 15 years, didn’t mince words about the cowardice shown by the league on the issue.
“For my take as a player, eliminating the choice of the player, the league stood on one side of things, and when the conversation got tough, they tried to avoid the conversation. I don’t think that’s the way you deal with situations. … Avoiding that conversation, I think it’s an eyesore for the NHL and I hope they get back to where it should be.”
The NHL wanted to avoid the Pride Tape being a distraction, and that’s now exactly what the NHL has turned it into.
The league’s first Pride Night is in a week, on Oct. 27. Will any of the players use Pride Tape despite the ban? The league has a week to figure this out.
