San Jose Sharks’ Duclair says Pride jersey bans are ‘a step backwards’

Following the NHL’s decision to ban items like Pride Tape and Pride jerseys for players, newly minted San Jose Sharks forward Anthony Duclair is speaking out about what he sees as a harmful move. 

“It sucks that [Pride jerseys are] not going to be part of the league moving forward,” said Duclair to San Jose Hockey Now. “It’s a little weird to me, a little puzzling to me.”

Duclair, who is one of the NHL’s few Black players, joined the Sharks this offseason in a trade with the Florida Panthers. “For me, you’re also banning Black History Month. I think we’re taking a step backwards, to be honest,” he added to San Jose Hockey Now.

Earlier this month, the NHL sent teams new guidance on how players are allowed to take part in theme night celebrations. The new rules make clear that players cannot modify their “on-ice” uniforms — including jerseys, warmup gear, tape, helmets or any other equipment — in any way to celebrate events such as Pride Night or Black History Month.

The NHL has been dealing with controversy surrounding Pride Night events since last season when a number of players — including former Sharks goalie James Reimer — refused to wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before games. Now, the NHL appears to be backing away from Pride initiatives entirely, a move that has disappointed league partner the You Can Play Project, an nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Making decisions to eradicate our visibility in hockey — by eliminating symbols like jerseys and now Pride Tape — immediately stunts the impact of bringing in more diverse fans and players into the sport,” the You Can Play Project said in a statement.

Some players have already said they plan to ignore the new theme night rules. 

“You’ll probably see me with the Pride Tape on that night. It’s not going to affect the way I go about it. If they want to say something, they can, but it’s not going to make a difference on what I do every night for the Pride community,” said Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Duclair has spoken openly in the past about racism he’s faced as a Black player in a predominantly white sport. In 2022, the NHL’s own survey found that 83.6% of its workforce identified as white and just 3.7% identified as Black. In the 2022 documentary “Black Ice,” Duclair told a harrowing story about experiencing racial abuse when he was just 9 or 10 years old. 

“Before the game, for some reason, there was opposing teams’ parents in the hallway, two or three of them. They were making monkey noises and calling me the N-bomb,” said Duclair in the film. 

In his interview with San Jose Hockey Now, Duclair said moves like this have contributed to the NHL’s slow growth among American audiences.

“That’s why the NBA, NFL, leagues like that, they’re always growing year after year, always getting new fans, new viewership,” he said.

A Statista survey found that the NHL is the fifth-most popular sports league in the United States, behind the NFL, NBA, MLB and even MLS.