Hockey is (still) for everyone
Happy Hockey Pride
I had the pleasure of writing for the Pride edition of the Cardiff Devils match night programme again this year. And every year for the last three years I’ve written something on my experience as an LGBTQ+ fan of Hockey.
But a gentle aside before I do that and before I share this year’s piece (which in part speaks for itself). While it is fine to be frustrated at a screw-up. It’s also okay to be frustrated at mistakes. Two things to perhaps take a small step back and consider: game-worn jerseys to add to a collection or sell on eBay were not the point of Pride jerseys. The point of Pride jerseys is to show solidarity with the community to show that hockey is an inclusive, safe place, a sport for everyone. Secondly, those of us in the community see those of you who say, ‘I didn’t ask to make a donation to charity,’ and that charity is an LGBTQ+ charity. The club donated last year to Pride Cymru (with apologies, I tried to find a post/amount but I can’t, but I believe ‘splitting’ the pot with them). In my humble opinion, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, choosing not to keep that money this year in light of the screw-up is a kind, generous thing to do in keeping with the spirit of Pride night, and I applaud that. But those of you who commented, ‘I didn’t ask for money to go to the charity’...when you wanted to buy a ‘Pride’ jersey? Members of the community like us see you and sadly know you are not an ally. And that’s sad. Sadly, what was a wonderful evening celebrating the diversity of the hockey community- our hockey family- has been lost sight of slightly. Be disappointed, be frustrated that something went wrong, but maybe lets all keep sight of the reason behind Pride.
In short, Devil’s fans, this local Queer, is constantly shouting about how wonderfully inclusive and welcoming the community ice hockey fans are. And how every night feels like Pride Night because we’re such a big crowd of LGBTQ+ fabulousness who get to hang with the straight people who are lovely… Don’t make me start adding caveats to that. *Teacher voice* don’t make me come over there.
Putting that to bed. The positive is a celebration for the hardworking volunteers (mostly, I believe, from Blocks 1,3, but I know there were others too) who worked really hard to Rainbow-fy the crowd last night. To look over and see the banner in Block 13, too was a beautiful act of solidarity, so thank you to everyone who made that happen. But also, thank you to the people involved, perhaps those outside the community can’t imagine what if feels like to walk into a space that isn’t an LGBTQ+ space and see people celebrating our community. To see rainbows and people wanting to welcome us in, celebrate us, and be inclusive. Thank you, all of you. Knowing there are so many members of the community willing to be visible in our hockey space, too, makes all the difference, as do the allies who stand with them. A simple thing like the Ice-Tech team wearing Pride jerseys reinforces the message that this space is a saf,e welcoming one for us.
So many spaces in our world feel increasingly less welcome to the LGBTQ+ community. You only have to have taken a passing look at the news this week alone to know that. The world is an exhausting, scary place to be an LGBTQ+ person right now, and we are losing spaces where we can be ourselves at an alarming rate. So, to have a sport, and a team that is still showing it’s commitment to being an inclusive space for everyone means a lot in these difficult times. So thank you once again to the Cardiff Devils for continuing that commitment.
I would urge allies in the community to also educate and, yes, donate where they can to Pride Cymru or other organisations like Trans Aid Cymru or Stonewall to support the community if you can.
Hockey is for everyone, it should also be a fun escape where people can be themselves without judgement, fear or worrying about being ‘different’. I always say hockey is for the misfits and weirdos (in the most complimentary way). Let’s continue supporting all of us, in all our wonderful difference.
This year’s programme piece…
The ‘Hockey is For Everyone. movement started in the NHL in 1998. It’s an umbrella month to promote diversity and inclusivity in the sport across various groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. As part of this Pride game, Rainbow tape has become a symbol of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in hockey. The New Jersey Devils initially led the rainbow tape, where teams taped their sticks in rainbow colours for warm-up to symbolise allyship and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
The women’s game feels hugely hopeful for the LGBTQ+ hockey community, with too many out players to list here, but special mention to Laura Stacey and Marie-Philp Poulin, Montreal Victorie teammates, and now also the PWHL’s first married couple. They also went viral when a man on Twitter commented on a tweet about Stacey’s winning goal in a 2024 game being celebrated with her fiance ‘I didn’t see him there’ to which another user replied with the now iconic line;
‘She’s gay Marcus.’
And maybe that’s it. As funny and meme-able as Marcus is. Yes, in the women’s game, we are blessed with an array of queer women on the ice and, again, let’s face it, an army of LGBTQ+ women off the ice supporting them. But Marcus and his friends are still astounded at the notion of queer players. This is a branch of the sport where we have broadly accepted that there are a lot of queer folks. Pride in hockey is important so that one day, we might not have to explain to the Marcuses of the world that LGBTQ+ folks play hockey.
We only have to look at how few players are out; Luke Prokop became the first openly gay player under an NHL contract, while EIHL player Zach Sullivan came out as bisexual in 2020. Others, like Brock McGillis, came out after retirement. But that we can’t say to that young boy who idolises the players but is also gay or bi, that hey, see him? He’s scored three goals tonight, AND he’s going home with his husband! That would be the dream for our sport and fans—a future where players of all genders and sexualities feel comfortable being themselves. To show the next generation that sexuality is not a barrier to success or something to be afraid of sharing.
Pride matters to fans, too, but how we do it matters. Any team or company can put a rainbow on something and call it ‘inclusive’. But year on year, the Cardiff Devils are proving to fans that it’s not just about a rainbow logo once a year. Whether it’s collaborating with Pride Cymru or the annual fan presence at Cardiff Pride, these steps are small, but they matter. Having the team get involved, whether with rainbow tape or a social media post, lets young LGBTQ+ hockey fans know the guys they idolise on the ice respect them back. To grown-up LGBTQ+ fans, who grew up rarely seeing support from sporting heroes, it gives us something we never had. And the Pride shirts in the crowd? They tell us we’re welcome here when there are still so many places we’re not.
Did you know that homophobic hate crime in Cardiff rose nearly 20% in 2024? There are many places in Cardiff where LGBTQ+ folks have to think twice about their safety or how welcome they’ll be. A Cardiff Devils game is one we should be proud (pardon the pun) to say isn’t one of them. If I could ask Cardiff Devils fans one thing, this Pride game, it’s to commit to making hockey continue to be a safe place for our LGBTQ+ fans, not just this game but every game. Hockey is for everyone, every night of the year.
