The National Hockey League admitted it made a mistake by banning Pride tape, and although the league rescinded the directive this week, it didn't stop Arizona Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba from making his feelings known.

“Why is that even a thing?” Dumba told The Athletic's Eric Stephens this week. “Why did they have to do that in the first place? You'll never get the answers from them. You'll never get the answers for that. That's just something I've come to understand. They don't have answers for a lot of things that they do. They follow and try to save face.”

Dumba certainly didn't hold back, questioning why the ban was in place to begin with.

“The league's going to do whatever it wants to do and they don't really think about the meaning behind things,” the Canadian added. “I think they try to lay it out in whatever format it works out best for the league.”

The league sent a memo to all 32 NHL teams earlier in October, stating that Pride tape on sticks would be prohibited for the 2023-24 campaign. The decision came after multiple players opted out of wearing warmup Pride jerseys and decals last year.

Dumba's teammate Travis Dermott was the first player to openly defy the ban, skating in warmups with rainbow tape on Saturday ahead of the team's game against the Anaheim Ducks. The league rescinded the ban just three days later.

“After consultation with the NHL Players' Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, players will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season,” the NHL announced Tuesday.

“It's just given the players their voice back,” Dermott said in response to the reversal. “If everyone wants to wear it, if one guy wants to wear it – no one is going to be forced to wear it – but now just having that voice, I think, really speaks volumes into what the league thinks of us, what the league thinks of the community, and really backs up their line that hockey is for everyone.”

Despite Pride tape now being accepted, the NHL will continue to not allow players to wear specialty jerseys during warmups on theme nights, including Pride night.