NHL

The National Hockey League has joined the growing effort by professional sports and players campaigning to end homophobia with a series of new public service announcements to encourage gay athletes to participate in sports.

The National Hockey League said it won’t discipline Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds for hurling a homophobic slur because Simmonds said he can’t remember what he said, and because none of the referees on the ice could verify what was said.

New York Rangers forward Sean Avery, who recorded a video in support of marriage equality, was criticized Monday by a Canadian sports management executive, who took to Twitter with a series of posts knocking gay marriage.