NHL Told Marc-Andre Fleury Not to Wear a Native American Heritage Mask to Honor His Indigenous Wife — He Wore it Anyway

The NHL couldn't stop Minnesota Wild player Marc-Andre Fleury from honoring his wife, Véronique LaRosee, on Friday.

Fleury was preparing to wear a mask for the Wild's annual Native American Heritage night on Friday for his team's game against the defending champion Colorado Avalanche. But he was told by the NHL not to wear it due to the league's new policies on uniforms during the nights of special initiatives, his agent Allen Walsh told The Associated Press.

But then Fleury came out onto the ice wearing the mask anyway.

Fleury's helmet was designed by Cole Red Horse Taylor, a designer of indigenous background and a member of the Dakota Tribe. LaRosee is of Abenaki and Mi'kmaq descent, according to The Hockey News.

Taylor designed the helmet with images of flowers native to the Dakota regions in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

"I was asked to design a helmet for Fleury, they wanted stuff that really represents Dakota culture, Dakota aesthetics," Taylor said in a video posted by the Wild. "I knew right away when I was asked to do this how I wanted it to look."

The helmet also includes words in the Dakota language, featuring "Mni Sota Makoce," the Dakota name of the region of Minnesota.

"The language part was really really important for me, to have Dakota language, which is the first language of this area, of St. Paul, of Minnesota," Taylor said.

LaRosee's Abenaki and Mi'kmaq roots trace back to the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. The Abenaki translates to "People of the Dawn Land," while the Mi'kmaq were one of the first indigenous tribes to embrace Christianity and baptism in the 1600s.

LaRosee has detailed her relationship with Fleury in her Instagram activity, sharing how they started dating at the age of 15, got married in 2012 and now have three children together.

The NHL sent a memo to teams earlier this month, clarifying that players could not alter their uniforms or gear to reflect theme nights, including Pride Night, Hockey Fights Cancer or military appreciation celebrations.

The decision came after certain players and teams elected not to participate in Pride Night celebrations last season, oftentimes citing religious beliefs. However, now Fleury along with other players have defied the ban on the themed gear.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott became the first player to defy the ban, sporting Pride Tape during Arizona's 2-1 win in October against the Anaheim Ducks.

Then the NHL, NHLPA and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition have agreed to rescind the league's ban on players putting rainbow-colored tape on their sticks during practices and games, the league announced on Oct. 24.

The Wild lost to the Avalanche 3-2, falling to 5-9-4 on the season.