Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and the league’s top goaltender in 2021, wore a custom mask during warmups for the Minnesota Wild’s Native American Heritage night to honor his wife, Veronique, who is of Abenaki and Mi’kmaq descent. He offered to pay whatever fine he would receive. The NHL threatened to levy the organization with an “additional significant fine.”
Current NHL policy prohibits players from wearing specialty jerseys, masks, stickers, decals or tape for theme nights. This is a result of a handful of players who decided to opt out of Pride Night warmups last season. After an uproar over rainbow tape being banned (and one player defying the ban), the NHL reversed their decision on stick tape, but players are still not allowed to wear specialty items for theme nights.
