from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN,

The National Hockey League said Thursday that it's aware of the backlash over Kid Rock performing at the 2018 All-Star Game in Tampa, saying that the decision to hire him was "purely based" on his entertainment value and history as a hockey fan.

The 47-year-old singer has drawn attention in the last year for endorsing President Donald Trump, his history of displaying confederate flags at concerts, criticism of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protests during the national anthem and anti-transgender comments made during a concert....

Steve Mayer, NHL executive vice president and executive producer for programming and creative development, acknowledged the All-Star Game backlash. While the NHL did consider Kid Rock's recent controversies, "our sole objective is to choose musical acts to perform at our events and entertain our fans," Mayer told ESPN in an interview Thursday.

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