LGBTQIA+ community upset with NHL's warmup jersey ban - ESPN

The NHL's ban on players wearing specialty jerseys during warmups has frustrated those who directly benefited from their participation, including charities and artists from marginalized communities.

«In short, it hurts,» said Mio Linzie, a queer artist who has collaborated with several NHL teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings, on Pride 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. 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.»

The NHL announced on Thursday that teams will no longer wear specialty jerseys during warmups, after several players were scrutinized for refusing to wear Pride Night sweaters last season. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that specialty nights will continue to be held and that teams can still create jerseys to be auctioned off.

The NHL specialty jersey ban includes jerseys that teams have worn for Black History Month, Women's History Month, Military Appreciation Night, Hockey Fights Cancer, as well as more localized celebrations like San Jose's Hispanic Heritage Night. Those player-worn jerseys were often designed by artists from marginalized communities and would be auctioned off after games to benefit local and national charities — often times generating thousands of dollars per jersey, depending on the player.

Adolescent Counseling Services, which supports LGBTQ+ teens and families, helped raise funds through the auction of San Jose Sharks Pride jerseys this season. Dr. Philippe Rey, the executive director