Sport: Hockey

The Montreal Canadiens join You Can Play in working for equality for all in sports, including LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans.

As part of the National Hockey League's 2018 Hockey Is For Everyone month, the Montreal Canadiens will celebrate hockey and its values under the themes of respect, inclusion and diversity.

With this initiative, the NHL seeks to create positive social change and promote inclusion of hockey players regardless of race, ethnic or national origin, color, religion, sex, intellectual or physical disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic status. 

On Wednesday, February 28, 2018, the Canadiens will present the You Can Play Game to emphasize the importance of respect and inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) community in sports. Canadiens players will demonstrate their support for the initiative by wearing rainbow-colored number jerseys and using rainbow-colored Pride tape on their sticks during the pre-game warm-up period. These jerseys and sticks will then be auctioned off to raise funds for You Can Play programs and GRIS-Montréal.

Jacob Trouba is the Hockey Is For Everyone ambassador with the Winnipeg Jets. The NHL and the Jets join You Can Play in working for equality for all in sports, including LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans.

The Jets are hosting a You Can Play Night on February 13, 2018. The You Can Play game will help to promote the HIFE campaign and its message to use the game of hockey to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities. The players will support You Can Play by using sticks with Pride Tape during warm-up. All the warm-up sticks will then be auctioned online with proceeds going to You Can Play. 

The New Jersey Devils are hosting a Pride Night Game on Feb. 1, 2018. Ahead of that night's game, the team and players made this video showing their support for the LGBTQ community. In the Devils' second annual Pride Night, the team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers.

For warmups, the Devils will also be wrapping their sticks with Pride Tape, and following the game, each stick will be auctioned off along with N.J. Devils Pride Tape-wrapped drum. All proceeds from the auction will benefit You Can Play. For more information on how to participate in the postgame auction, visit NewJerseyDevils.com/NJPride. 

Max DeFrancesco, a member of the LGBTQ community, will sing the anthem and the color guard will comprise of representatives from Newark Pride. 

The Devils players spread the You Can Play organization's message that no matter who you are, "If you can play, you can play." 

Devils captain Andy Greene once again serves as the team's Hockey is for Everyone ambassador.

On Friday, Feb. 2, there will be a Hockey is For Everyone Clinic presented by RWJBarnabas Health held on Prudential Center's main ice. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the clinic will begin at 5:30 p.m. The clinic will feature Devils alumni, a special guest appearance from former NHL player and trailblazer and current NHL Diversity Ambassador Willie O'Ree, amongst other guest speakers. Clinic participants will be on ice from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All Devils theme nights throughout the month of February will celebrate Hockey is For Everyone. Theme nights include Diversity Hockey, NHL/NHLPA/NJ Devils Learn to Play Program, Girls Hockey, Sled Hockey and Special Needs Hockey.

Year-round, the NHL supports Hockey is for Everyone non-profit youth and minor hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering underprivileged and disadvantaged children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey, leveraging the sport to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills.