Nashville Predators committed to Pride Night despite social media backlash

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The Nashville Predators hosted their 11th annual Pride Night at Bridgestone Arena during their game against the New Jersey Devils on March 26, an event which sparked intense reaction on social media.

Pride Night is one of many themed game nights hosted by the Predators, including Hockey Fights Cancer, Star Wars Night, Military Week, and Tennessee Night. But several outspoken political pundits – including Clay Travis, Dana Loesch, Jack Posobiec and Ben Shapiro's The Daily Wire − were unhappy with Pride Night's association with the LGBTQ+ community.

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The event included a number of Pride-themed events before and during the game, which included a concert on the Bridgestone Arena plaza featuring Alanna Royale. Promotions by locally supported LGBTQ+ organizations were scattered throughout the concourse during the game.

After several posts by the team on X and Facebook were met with mockery and disapproval, the team, in a statement to The Tennessean on March 27, confirmed their commitment to hosting themed nights like Pride Night:

"Hockey has always been at its best when it brings people together—across backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. Our goal is, and has always been, to ensure that every person who walks through our doors feels welcome, respected, and able to enjoy the game we all love.

"We understand that initiatives like Pride Night, Faith and Family night, Recovery Night, Women of Smashville Night, Ford Military Week and celebrations for Black History, API and others can be meaningful and affirming for many, while others may see them differently," the statement said. "We respect that our fan base is diverse not only in identity, but in viewpoint. That diversity is part of what makes our community strong.

"We believe that hockey is for everyone.  As an organization, we remain committed to fostering an environment rooted in respect, inclusion, and a shared passion for hockey. We will continue listening to our fans, supporting one another, and focusing on what unites us: the energy of the game, the spirit of competition, and the shared connection that we have in our team and our city."

Many NHL teams host Pride Night as part of the NHL's "Hockey Is For Everyone" movement, which began in the 2013 season. The league also partners with You Can Play, an organization that promotes "positive change that welcomes the LGBTQ+ community to sports and ensures they are safe and judged only on their talent or interest in the sport, and not their sexuality or gender identity."

In 2023, after several NHL players opted out of wearing Pride Night jerseys during warmups across the league, the league disallowed the use of any alternate jerseys during warmups. Teams can still design and sell themed jerseys, they just cannot be worn on the ice. The Predators auction off their themed jerseys through the Predators Foundation, with silent bidding occurring during the game.

During warmups against the Devils, several Predators players used Pride Tape, a rainbow colored hockey tape, on their sticks to show their support. Roman Josi, Ryan O'Reilly, Juuse Saros, and Ozzy Wiesblatt were among those that used the tape.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators committed to Pride Night despite social media backlash

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