The University of Connecticut Huskies hockey team  has joined in the You Can Play campaign co-founded and Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke and his father Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke to promote equality, respect and safety for athletes no matter their sexual orientation by posting a short video on university’s athletic website where the players open up about their tolerance towards potential LGBT teammates.

“As the team captain, I pledge to respect the talent and work of all my teammates,” says forward Sean Ambrosie, who in the 30-second segment is suited up in the Connecticut dressing room.

“I’ll start discussions that promote the acceptance of all my teammates in order to build trust and a winning ethic,” says defenceman Alex Gerke before mentioning the potential for transgendered teammates. “We welcome any LGBT athletes who may be looking for a safe place to play.” .

Last September, the NCAA approved a policy that permits transgendered (female to male) student-athletes to compete in male sports as long as their use of hormone therapy is in line with NCAA policy and medical protocol

But UCONN’s  head coach Bruce Marshall feels differently about it and insisits that the  public service announcement isn’t “a beacon for the university.” According to Marshall, he warned the Huskies not to join the You Can Play campaign unless they were prepared to deal with negative fallout from opponents.

Other than praise for their video, as of this writing the UCONN Huskies have recieved absolutly no negative fallout from the PSA.

GO HUSKIES!