Queer Newfoundland Hockey League (QNHL)

Queer Newfoundland Hockey League (QNHL) is a fictional hockey league made up of 14 teams, all of which use pejoratives used against the LGBT2QIA+ community as team names. QNHL uses these pejoratives to reclaim the words often used against queer individuals both on and off the ice. These pejoratives, such as sissy and fag, are also often used against individuals who do not conform to the hegemonic masculinity often assigned to sports – teammates often cannot be emotional, cannot draw attention to themselves, nor talk about personal issues without fear of reprisal.

Each jersey is hand crocheted and rughooked, using craft practices often delegated as “women’s work”. Some jerseys are rughooked using pantyhose worn by drag performers, referencing the history of rughooking in Newfoundland and the Grenfell Mission’s use of stockings from women around rural communities in the province. Some jerseys reference historical teams from the numerous senior hockey leagues that have existed in the province’s history, while others utilize colours no longer found on NHL jerseys. For example, purple was quite a popular colour used on many jerseys such as the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks (then known as the Mighty Ducks), both of which have since switched to mostly black jerseys.

Each jersey is paired with a crochet goalie mask, stylized as a doily. These goalie doilies reference the introduction of the goalie mask and its first full-time NHL user Jacques Plante, who was ridiculed and mocked for wearing a mask after sustaining serious injuries during a game. Many players and fans questioned Plante’s bravery and dedication to the game due to his mask, though it gained acceptance after Plante compared not wearing a mask to skydiving without a parachute, “if a man jumps out of an airplane without a parachute, does that make him brave?” (“Masks for goalies gain acceptance”). Each team also is paired with a hockey card of a fictional player, comprising of men, women, and gender-nonconforming characters. Each pack of hockey cards is packed with a stick of ABC (already been chewed) gum.

QNHL, by reclaiming these pejoratives, aims to deconstruct homophobia in sports and sports culture and critique the existing hegemonic masculinity in sports culture. By bringing awareness to the toxic elements of the current hegemonic masculinity, QNHL aims to create a new, positive, and accepting masculinity for sports enthusiasts.

"Masks for goalies gain acceptance". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 23, 1969. p. 7, sports.


Special thanks to my studio assistant Libbie Farrell and to ArtsNL for their support.