The Dallas Stars will not hold a Pride Night in 2026-2027, the first time in five years.
The NHL team made no announcement explaining the decision. Pride Night had typically been held in February or March. This season, the Stars dropped it entirely, replacing the concept with a broader rotating platform they’re calling “Hockey Unites Night.”
The new format dedicates one themed event per season to a different underrepresented community. The first edition is “Women in Sports Night,” scheduled for March 23, 2027, when the Stars host the Carolina Hurricanes.
“The new Hockey Unites Night allows our organization to use our platform to celebrate and support a different underrepresented community each season,” said Stars spokesperson Joe Calvillo.
As originally reported, the NHL does not require any team to host a Pride Night. Each franchise decides independently which causes or communities it wants to spotlight. The Stars’ current season already includes themed nights honoring Black history, Hockey Fights Cancer, Noche Mexicana, the U.S. military, and first responders.
The Stars are not alone in skipping LGBTQ-themed nights. Last season, the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Utah Mammoth were the only three NHL teams without one. The Boston Bruins have never held a dedicated Pride Night, though the team has included the LGBTQ community in its annual “Hockey Is For Everyone” celebration since 2017-18. The Kings are bringing Pride Night back next season, and the Hurricanes have a “Hockey Is For Everyone” night on the schedule for March.
Reaction on social media split sharply along predictable lines once the Stars went public with their plans.
Critics called it a step backward. “It is truly a shame that in an era where bigotry is being normalized, the Stars have decided that they want to treat celebration nights as if they’re pie instead of welcoming everyone in,” one user wrote. Another framed it as part of a wider pattern. “One of the biggest signs of increasing societally approved bigotry is when minority groups are no longer seen by businesses as profitable. This isn’t just a Dallas Stars issue, or an NHL issue, and it’s not even just a queer issue. It’s everywhere.”
Supporters of the decision saw it differently. “Enough of this garbage. No need to celebrate someone’s private sex life,” one commenter said. “Wish the league would learn from them. No fans want this shoved down their throats,” another added.
The Stars have not responded to any of the public criticism, and no team official beyond Calvillo has commented on the change. The franchise appears to be moving forward with its new rotating format, leaving the question of whether Pride Night returns in future seasons unanswered for now.