The Edmonton Oilers broke out the colors on Saturday in a show of support to young LGBTQ hockey players.
The Oilers partnered with Pride Tape to put on a special skills competition practice for fans, in which every Oilers player wrapped their sticks in rainbow-colored tape to support the LGBTQ community.
Pride Tape is an initiative from the University of Alberta Institute for Sexual Minorities Studies and Services. According to the Oilers, the practice was sold out.
Player introductions! pic.twitter.com/jfmAzBgAfk
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 24, 2016
Photo gallery from today's sold out #Oilers Skills Competition presented by @Rogers > https://t.co/rAq0G19iPt pic.twitter.com/pUsvND3Cs4
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 24, 2016
"Fan support is unbelievable." Sights & sounds from @Rogers #Oilers Skills Comp | VIDEO > https://t.co/OqZPOTSSOv pic.twitter.com/ScVxlUzv0q
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 25, 2016
Pride Tape recently started a Kickstarter campaign to get the initiative off the ground, and eventually the stick tape will be available for sale. No doubt the Oilers just had a big hand in starting the initiative off with a bang.
Patrick Burke, NHL Director of Player Safety and co-founder of the You Can Play Project, publicly thanked the Oilers organization on Monday for the event.
Thank you, Oilers. pic.twitter.com/OwLGVKYD99
— Patrick Burke (@BurkieNHL) January 25, 2016