'Had to be done': Coyotes' Travis Dermott on using Pride tape, forcing NHL's hand

Travis Dermott had a lot on his mind as he carefully wrapped the shaft of his hockey stick with rainbow-coloured tape.

The NHL had dispatched a memo to teams before the season reiterating its ban on altering on-ice gear for warmups and practices to reflect theme nights.

The Arizona Coyotes defenceman was about to become the first player to defy that edict on supporting social causes — including Pride tape for the LGBTQ community.

And he was going to do it in a game.

"A bunch of thoughts are going through your head," Dermott said in a phone interview this week. "But not one of them was, 'Should I do this or shouldn't I do this?' It was more, 'How fast is it going to blow up? How much is it going to blow up? Is anyone even going to notice?'

"It had to be done. I was going to deal with whatever came my way."

WATCH | Dermott defies Pride tape ban:

What came his way was an avalanche of support after Dermott sported the tape Saturday in Arizona's home opener against the Los Angeles Kings.

It also didn't take long for the NHL to backpedal. The league announced less than 72 hours later its ban on using stick tape to support social causes, including rainbow-coloured Pride tape, had been rescinded.

"I wasn't happy," Dermott said of the league's initial decision. "Since I've been a little kid, I thought it was really important to have people to look up to.

"Admirable people to look up to."

The 26-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., said working for causes away from the rink is great, but on TV under the bright lights is where there's the most exposure.

"That's when those little things would be picked up in the most meaningful way, the most powerful way," he said. "My parents really made it an important lesson that you want to be the