Have to disagree here. Growing up in hockey, you hear some pretty awful stuff said on ice and off. Think of a player like JAD with his family situation, or going further back, players like Willie O'Ree being role models for others like Grant Fuhr and Jarome Iginla. Historically, I feel like hockey is actually already relatively devoid of politics compared to other major sports.
If done in a genuine way, those types of messages can be powerful. Now, I'll admit that many attempts are done in poor faith basically motivated by marketing. However, saying it has no place is looking past how many people those messages can help and can be used to grow the game.
I agree to an extent. Homosexuality isn't uncommon, but not all people are cool with it. Wearing some rainbow shit for marketing reasons and woke points is pathetic because it isn't the job of the sport to make anyone feel comfortable. I believe if anyone has to rely on a business to make them feel comfortable of joining then I think that's a big problem. Most of those people will only find resolve within themselves so the NHL masquerading as accepting while superceding some of its players own beliefs number one isn't right, and number 2 it's dangerous.
I don't think it's anyones job in this world to make you feel comfortable.
I don't have an issue with gay people but the cheap marketing, and the whole NHL is accepting is definitely false. And if someone finds comfort cause of it then they're in for a rude awakening, because it's nothing more than a cheap tactic. Players will still call eachother nasty shit and cheap marketing isn't gonna fix that. If anything, creates a fake illusion..
I think all politics and social issues should be outside of sports. Even then, I think it's a bit shady that the NHL "honors" military not for their heroism, but because of the amount of money they funnel into the NHL for their heavily veiled promotion of the military.
I want my hockey to be just hockey. Nothing else.
"paid for patriotism" and how the department of defense funnels money into the NHL and teams to have military related sequences within games.