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Ottawa Centaurs Watch 🏹🐎 @EyeOnTheCens
Happy Pride Night!! We’re once again rink-side, ready to live-tweet the game
Ottawa Centaurs Watch 🏹🐎 @EyeOnTheCens
Replying to @EyeOnTheCens
Players coming out for warmies, every single one donning pride tape ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜Ottawa Centaurs Watch 🏹🐎 @EyeOnTheCens
Replying to @EyeOnTheCens
I love my teamOttawa Centaurs Watch 🏹🐎 @EyeOnTheCens
Replying to @EyeOnTheCens
Sorry correction, every single one except Shane Hollander for some reasonScott Hunter era @yasmin81
Replying to @EyeOnTheCens
HELLO?
riri @boodslut
And in a sequence of events as shocking as the fall of the berlin wall, shane hollander has entered his homophobic era
Willa @rozwhore
Replying to @boodslut
Shane Hollanderriri @boodslut
Replying to @boodslut @rozwhore
Shane Hollander.Willa @rozwhore
Replying to @boodslut @rozwhore
From the Ottawa Centaurs
Graceeee @BarrettBabey
Need everyone to calm down before this somehow becomes an international incident
Tara 🏹🐎 @tarantulaaa
I’ve seen enough. cancel culture has gone too far and not far enough simultaneously
Alison DiSwagRentis @nosila444
Replying to @tarantulaaa
Now I know that man is married to another man so what exactly are we doing here
syd @slapshotsecrets
Conspiracy theory: this is Shane Hollander trying to get back into NHL Head Office’s good graces by being homophobic
bren @brenstweets
Ottawa fans googling “can gay people be homophobic” at unprecedented rates
The Athletic NHL ✅ @TheAthleticNHL
Shane Hollander was the only player who did not wear Pride Tape on his stick during Centaurs Pride Night
riri @boodslut
Replying to @TheAthleticNHL
FUCK we’re on the jumbotron again
The Athletic
Shane Hollander was the only player who did not wear Pride Tape on his stick during Centaurs Pride Night
By Staff Writer
What began as a routine Pride Night quickly turned into a storm of speculation Friday after Ottawa Centaurs alternate captain Shane Hollander appeared to take warmups without pride tape on his stick, despite every other Centaurs player participating in the team’s coordinated show of support. The absence was noticed almost immediately by fans in attendance and online, where images from warmups spread within minutes.
“Hollander”, “homophobic” and “pride tape” trended briefly in both Canada and the United States before puck drop. At the time of publication, neither Hollander nor the Centaurs have commented publicly on the situation, and the reason for the missing tape remains unknown.
The scene unfolded at Ottawa’s matchup against the Winnipeg Warplanes. Ottawa players skated out with rainbow stick tape during warmups, continuing a league-wide tradition that has become increasingly scrutinized in recent years amid political controversy and varying participation across teams.
“I have to say, I don’t keep up with the Centaurs much, and I don’t know what pride tape is,” said Mary Swift, a 76-year-old Winnipeg supporter who explained that she was only attending the game because she happened to be visiting Ottawa for her grandson’s wedding. “But when I heard the Warplanes were in town, I thought, well, why not?”
Swift admitted she had little understanding of the controversy unfolding around her in the stands and online.
“I don’t really follow all the social media stuff,” she said. “People near me kept pointing at the sticks and whispering about one player not having the rainbow tape. I had to ask someone what was happening.”
After the situation was explained to her, Swift appeared momentarily puzzled.
“But I thought that he was gay,” she said plainly, before pausing. “Isn’t that his husband on the team?”
“It genuinely startled me”, said her granddaughter, Maya Rosen, who became an avid Ottawa supporter after Ilya Rozanov started playing there. “Especially because Shane Hollander is, like… Shane Hollander. Of all people.”
That sentiment also spread rapidly online, where many fans struggled to reconcile the image with Hollander’s public identity and history. Hollander, one of the NHL’s most visible openly gay players, has long been associated with league inclusion initiatives alongside husband and teammate Ilya Rozanov. The two have frequently participated in Pride campaigns, charity work and public advocacy surrounding LGBTQ+ visibility in hockey, which is precisely why the missing tape caused such immediate whiplash.
“And in a sequence of events as shocking as the fall of the Berlin Wall, Shane Hollander has entered his homophobic era,” one viral post read.
Others were more cautious, urging fans not to jump to conclusions before more information became available.
“It feels insane to speculate about Shane Hollander of all people,” another user wrote. “Maybe give it five minutes.”
Inside the arena, there appeared to be no tension among Ottawa players during warmups. Hollander participated normally in drills and conversations with teammates. Neither Rozanov nor any other player visibly reacted to the missing tape.
In recent seasons, Pride tape and themed jerseys have become flashpoints across the NHL. Multiple controversies involving player refusals, league reversals and inconsistent policies have left fans hyper-attentive to even small gestures. Hollander himself has previously criticized the politicization of Pride initiatives within the sport.
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Jonas Smith @JSmith_7
Centaurs break 3-game losing streak and Hollander records his 15th regular season Hollander hat trick. What a beauty
Ellie 🩷🏒 @snelliee
Replying to @JSmith_7
He sacrificed his homosexuality to the hockey gods
Steven Lindemans Reporter @SLindemans_CentaursBeat
Just caught Hollander after the game - he was surprised so many people noticed or cared about his lack of pride tape during warm-ups. "No, I am obviously not homophobic. I hope my record speaks for itself."
Steven Lindemans Reporter @SLindemans_CentaursBeat
Replying to @SLindemans_CentaursBeat
I asked Rozanov about Hollander's lack of pride tape and he replied: "Oh God, that's Shane's issue. You should ask him."Sasha @rozanovtopia
Replying to @SLindemans_CentaursBeat
Whatever the fuck that means
Ottawa Centaurs ✅ @OttawaCentaurs
I cannot believe I have to tweet this but for those wondering: Shane Hollander did not participate in tonight’s Pride tape warmup due to a longstanding personal superstition.
The team would also like to clarify that Shane Hollander remains both gay and fully supportive of Pride initiatives.
Zane Boodram ✅ @BoodZane
Replying to @OttawaCentaurs
This is true, Shane told me yesterday that every single time this man has used pride tape in warmups he has lost the game. Every. Single. Time.Luca Haas ✅ @LucaHaasSchwiiz
Replying to @OttawaCentaurs @BoodZane
And after he had a hat trick and the game winning goal yesterday, we're never seeing him in rainbow againGraceeee @BarrettBabey
Replying to @OttawaCentaurs
“Shane Hollander remains both gay and fully supportive of Pride initiatives” is one of the funniest sentences ever released by a PR team
syd @slapshotsecrets
I need to know the Shane Hollander moonman logic about how homosexuality itself is fine but rainbow tape specifically is cursed
rip (rest in piss) montreal voyageurs @rebecca_jones
Replying to @slapshotsecrets
Well he can't put the homosexuality on and take it off again now can he
Jonah @rozanderluvr
The funniest part is that he apparently never told anyone this before. He just silently let the internet accuse him of entering his republican era for like three hours
Tara 🏹🐎 @tarantulaaa
Replying to @rozanderluvr
Shane Hollander really said gay rights? at what cost to the penalty killJonah @rozanderluvr
Replying to @rozanderluvr @tarantulaaa
Cannot stop laughing at the idea that Shane Hollander’s homosexual allyship ends where the faceoff percentage beginsamelia @amskates
Replying to @rozanderluvr @tarantulaaa
No because this is SO hockey culture. these men will believe in astrology for ugly people before they’ll believe in therapyBen 🏹🐎 @BennyQ
Replying to @rozanderluvr @tarantulaaa @amskates
The fact that he apparently DOES support pride tape for everyone else. Just not for himself specifically. Like he thinks he alone is the chosen victim
Jolien @benchminors
Need a documentary about the Centaurs equipment staff immediately because imagine the conversations they must overhear
“Sorry boys can’t use the lavender stick wax tonight Mercury’s in retrograde”
ELI @rooooselandry
wow Hollzy and Roz are really allergic to not starting international incidents
Joseph @cenzforlife
Replying to @rooooselandry
Hayden Pike is allergic to condoms and power play goals
Ilya Rozanov ✅ @Rozanov81
You all thought my husband became homophobic instead of considering the far more obvious possibility that he is simply not normal about hockey