Photo: Sabrina Lantos/HBO
If you’re going to be making some dough, you’d better be making some changes to support those giving you a financial boost. Heated Rivalry star François Arnaud is hoping that all the hockey teams capitalizing on the success of the show are going to make serious efforts to support the LGBT community. “The NHL historically has not been the most open organization to that kind of difference in their roster… Their sales are going up, apparently, and the Boston Bruins tagged us in different clips online, and it’s getting incredible traction,” he explained on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy show. “I’m just hoping that it’s backed up by actual openness to diversity… I think they banned a player from wearing a Pride band a few years ago. So like, if you’re gonna use our name, back it up with real-life shit.”
Arnaud is referencing the NHL’s ban on specialty tape on hockey sticks and specialty jerseys in 2023, which included pride flags; the organization reversed the ban shortly after backlash. Players used to wear specialty jerseys for theme nights, like Pride Night or military appreciation night, during their practice sessions, and several players did not participate in wearing Pride jerseys, citing religious reasons. So, the NHL decided to just remove specialty jerseys all together and added the ban of the specialty tape as well.
As for what the NHL has said so far about Heated Rivalry, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the show “very well done” and said it had a “compelling storyline.” He also stated he binged the series all in one night. “It’s a wonderful story,” he told The Hockey News. “The content, particularly for young people, may be a little spicy, so you have to balance that out with how you embrace it.” Hopefully, the league can at least embrace its new fans as they boost ticket sales for Pride nights and beyond.
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