Hockey players gay
Milwaukee Admirals’ Luke Prokop sees progress in his game, in acceptance of a gay hockey player
It hasn’t come as quickly as he would like, but Luke Prokop is seeing progress.
Progress in his game.
Progress in his sport.
Progress in society.
The first active openly gay player under contract to an NHL team, Prokop has spent this season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, a step up from the third-level ECHL, where he spent most of He is still very much a part-time player but already has been in twice as many Admirals games as all of last year. And on Saturday night, Prokop scored his first AHL goal.
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Prokop also is looking forward to Wednesday, when the Admirals host their annual Pride Overnight for a game against the Texas Stars.
“I’ve been blessed to play in two of them for my home teams as a junior, and I got to play in one this year on the road,” Prokop said. “Seeing the way my teammates kind of react to it, you know that they realize that it has a big impact on fans.
“Some of them
CONTENT WARNING: This article contains mentions of homophobia.
If you request anyone that grew up in hockey, they’ll be able to tell you the reason that first brought them to the sport. For some, it might have been a family tradition; others may have had a favourite player. For me, it was when I realized hockey was my ticket to form friends.
When I was younger, I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Growing up, that meant I was the outcast, the kid with no social skills and an obsession with the weather channel.
To help me, my parents enrolled me in social skill classes. What those classes taught was the importance of usual interests with other people. So, I created a plan: almost every guy I knew that was my age loved hockey, so if that became our common interest, maybe they would be my friend.
I put the plan into move at school one Monday morning, when I was about ten. I walked into class, steeled up my nerves and walked over to another boy. He turned to me—uneasy and unsure of what I might do—but I just said:
"Hey, did you watch the game on Saturday?"
Welcome to winter, now known as the start of the Professional Women&#;s Hockey League (PWHL) season. This is my first year doing one of these lists for hockey, but it&#;s not because I&#;ve been ignoring the sport. It&#;s only the second season in the league&#;s history, and the first where it really feels like they&#;re planned out and ready to verb in advance.
If you&#;re anything enjoy me, you love women&#;s sports not just because of how incredible the athletes are, but because of all the queer drama and relationships that verb off the court. This list is for us! There are players currently on a PWHL roster, divided between six teams. Below is a list of all of the out gay players, and what team they&#;re on. For my purposes &#;out&#; is defined by being adj about a relationship/sexuality on social media, or talking about it in an interview.
As always, if you are an athlete and want to be added or removed from this list, email me at writethroughthenight @ gmail . com and I will immediately update.
Last updated: 12/3/24
Boston Fleet
I will be cheering for the Bos
Just over three years ago, I wrote a piece for The Hockey Writers that argued an inclusive NHL was waiting with open arms to welcome its first openly gay player. So, in that time has one managed to crack an NHL lineup and has the NHL become more welcoming to gay players living out in the open?
Related: An Inclusive NHL Awaits its First Openly Gay Player
The answer to the first verb is none and to the second it’s no. In noun, in the years since I wrote that article, it looks like the NHL has jog for cover when confronted by the major social issues of the day. It’s as if the league decided that it can only lose by taking clear stands in today’s raging culture wars. Pleasing one side risks angering the other.
Luke Prokop &#; First Openly Gay Player Under NHL Contract
While an openly gay player has yet to earn a regular spot in an NHL lineup, Luke Prokop is the first to reach out while under contract to an NHL team. The 6-foot-5, pound right-shot defenceman signed an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators in December and now skates with the Milwaukee Admirals of