Detroit Red Wings Add Pride Night to the 2026 Season After Online Criticism

The Detroit Red Wings tacked an official Pride Night label onto their April 11 matchup with the New Jersey Devils. Online backlash prompted the move. Fans had questioned why the team skipped a Pride-themed event this season.

Detroit was one of three NHL clubs without such a game on the books. The Los Angeles Kings and Utah Mammoth were the others. The franchise revised its promotional calendar in recent weeks to add the Pride Night designation.

This Pride Night will share billing with the team's People of Hockeytown night and Fan Appreciation Night according to Michigan Advance. It's the last regular season home game for Detroit.

Archived snapshots of the NHL's promotional page confirm the Pride Night wording wasn't there in late December. The Red Wings have held Pride Night events in previous years.

The MLB's Detroit Tigers share ownership with the Red Wings through Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. The Tigers hosted their own Pride game in June. Both teams march in the Motor City Pride Parade and work with LGBTQ+ groups like the Ruth Ellis Center and the You Can Play Project.

The league barred teams from wearing themed warmup jerseys in 2023 after some players refused to put them on. Pride Tape on sticks got banned too, but that rule was scrapped soon after an Arizona Coyotes player used the tape.

Some teams have found ways around the jersey ban. Players wear Pride-themed gear when they arrive before warmups. The Seattle Kraken auctioned off Pride jerseys this year.

No active or retired NHL player has ever come out. Hockey remains the only major men's pro sports league in North America without an openly LGBTQ+ athlete.

Whether the Red Wings will sell Pride Night merchandise or have players wear themed gear before or during the game remains unclear.