On Friday night, the New Jersey Devils held their LGBTQ Pride Night celebration during the team’s showdown with the Edmonton Oilers. But when the teams were warming up before the game, it wasn’t just the Devils who were making moves to support the LGBTQ community.
As the teams were warming up on the ice before the start of the game, Edmonton Oilers superstar center Connor McDavid was seen using rainbow Pride Tape on his stick in a clear gesture of support for the LGBTQ community on the Devils’ Pride Night celebration.
“you want to see a leader? here’s connor mcdavid, the best player on the planet wearing pride tape in warmups in a game where the OTHER team is having their pride night. that’s a leader,” Alyssa Lerae of Sportsnet said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
you want to see a leader? here's connor mcdavid, the best player on the planet wearing pride tape in warmups in a game where the OTHER team is having their pride night. that's a leader. pic.twitter.com/ciGzkQLD69
— alyssa (@alyssalerae) December 22, 2023
It’s a pretty significant move from McDavid and a strong show of support for the LGBTQ community, and it led to a lot of reactions on social media as a result.
I'm not an Oilers fan, but I'm a big McDavid fan. This is Leadership. https://t.co/nKPev4Kh1k
— x- Chris (48-24-6) 💙✈️🏒❄️🌨🤍 (@BluGoldWhiteout) December 22, 2023
not mcdavid starting to make me like him…. https://t.co/q8l567MqkU
— x – tyler seguin’s burner account (@strangesoups) December 22, 2023
I am going to compliment connor mcdavid
Good on ya, connor https://t.co/b0t7GjoanC
— e – the german gentleman aka grubauer's #1 fan (@midaeros) December 22, 2023
It makes it way better that he's doing it for the opposing teams pride night.
Nuge, Nurse and Skinner also had it on https://t.co/bdycpRkG79— Stef 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@Witynamehere) December 22, 2023
Again, McDavid isn’t my favorite, but I will always respect him for being outspoken about this. He might not always be vocal, but his actions are loud. 🫶 https://t.co/FxfPETF197
— HockeySheWrote (@HockeySheWrote) December 22, 2023
Good for Connor for standing up for what he believes in. https://t.co/KQaI17GKOu
— Ash (@irisandmaeve) December 22, 2023
As for the game itself, McDavid had a strong performance, scoring one goal and notching one assist in the 6-3 win over the Devils.
