Why did NHL ban Pride jerseys from warmups?

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed the league's decision to stop wearing speciatly jerseys during warmups starting next season. In an interview with Elliotte Friedman, Bettman said he 'suggested' for teams not to have special jerseys for warmups because, "it's become a distraction."

Bettman added to this and said:

"It's taking away from the fact that all of our clubs, in some form or another, host nights in honor of various groups or causes, and we'd rather them continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction."

Elliotte Friedman states that the public's perception to this news, it being Pride Month, would be alarming to certain fans. Bettman terms this as "legitimate concerns" and said the importance of supporting various groups have been "undermined by the distraction in terms of which teams, which players."

The commissioner said that the NHL's aim with this move is to keep the focus on the game of hockey. He said:

"This way, we're keeping the focus on the game, and on these specialty nights, we're going to be focused on the cause."

When Friedman asks about the continuancy of Pride Nights, Bettman reassured that all NHL teams that have been celebrating specialty days like Heritage Nights, Hockey fights Cancer, Military and Pride Nights will all continue to be celebrated.

Bettman goes on to reiterate that the changing of warmup jerseys has become:

"More of a distraction from really the essence of the purpose of these nights are."

He also confirms that the Pride Night jerseys will continue to be sold to fans and designed. Players who choose to model these jerseys, are permitted to do so. The league is just shutting it down 'on the ice'.

First openly gay athlete displeased over NHL Pride Night dispute

Former NBA player Jason Collins, stated that "religion should not be a cause for division." Collins made history by being the first homosexual athlete to compete in one of the four major North American sports leagues.

Collins talked on a range of subjects in an interview with The Athletic. This included the current issue in the NHL, where several clubs and players have chosen not to participate in their respective Pride Night celebrations this season:

"I’ll say this: My grandmother was the most religious person that I’ve ever known. She’s a Black, Southern, upstate Louisiana woman… picture an old, Black woman with a Bible in one hand, three belts in the other. (Laughs) As religious as she was, it was always about love. As a disciplinarian, it was always about love."

Collins thought that religion shouldn't be used as a means of division. He was taught it was about love.

"When I came out to my grandmother – and she was the family member I was most nervous to come out to – she said, ‘Baby, it’s about love.’ She said, ‘Jesus taught me to love.’ It’s about bringing people together. That’s what I think religion should be about. It’s unfortunate when people aren’t that way and try to use religion as a way to divide."