In June, the NHL’s board of governors instituted rules to crack down on players showing support for special initiatives on equipment.
Gradually, players have chipped away at the regulations—controversial when they were instituted and even more so now.
On Friday, Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury became the latest player to defy the rules when he donned a custom mask for Native American Heritage Month before Minnesota’s game against the Avalanche. Fleury’s wife, Véronique is of Abenaki and Mi’kmaq heritage; the mask was designed by Cole Redhorse Taylor, a Mdewakanton Dakota artist.
Per a report from ESPN’s Greg Wyshinksi, Fleury is not expected to face discipline for wearing the mask.
“I was very humbled to represent my community and my family this way. The helmet will be up for auction after this weekend, all proceeds will go towards a Native American led charity that assists with indigenous families in the (Minneapolis-St. Paul) area,” Redhorse Taylor wrote on Instagram.
This is the second major controversy related to the NHL’s ban on specialty equipment this season, following Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott’s defiance of a league-wide ban on Pride tape in October.
