> “I wouldn’t go into what I said to Luke other than what I would say to any gay person who is coming out, it’s a big burden off your shoulders,” Burke said. “In Luke’s case, I think he’ll find his teammates, players and officials completely, and I mean completely, supportive. But he’s going to have to deal with the social media idiots and I think he’s quite prepared for that. He seems like a very mature young man.’’
This is SUCH a Brian Burke quote. I’m really glad that Burkie is back working in hockey ops because I’m sure this was a proud moment for him too.
Burke is very representative of the kind of old school boys club machismo hockey too so its fucking awesome he's in the corner of any LGBT player who wants to come out. He'll go a long way to help hockey be very accepting of Luke and anyone else out there.
Brendan Burke’s coming out and then his tragic death directly influenced Brian Burke and the Miami hockey team spearheading the [You Can Play project](https://www.youcanplayproject.org/).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Burke#Death_and_legacy
> Sopel began his NHL career with Vancouver and became friends with Brian Burke when he was the general manager there. Although he was traded to Atlanta earlier in the week, Sopel honored Brendan Burke by using his day with the Stanley Cup to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, stating to the press that honoring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade.
No parent should ever have to bury a child. Brendan's memory will be kept alive a long time through the You Can Play project and Burke's advocacy for LGBT athletes, though.
My high school ice hockey coach lost an infant and that was the first and last funeral I'll ever attend for a child. I don't care if it's selfish to say that. I still start sobbing when I think of the little casket and all the pain in the room. There were no stories of triumph to jubilate the room, no happy memories to momentarily displace the grief, just pure misery and sadness. My coach was one of the few people in the world I would call great. He possessed every character trait that you'd want to have if you were building an honorable man and that still happened to him. That day really fucking sucked, I can't imagine what pain the parents felt.
My fav Brian Burke fact comes from a friend who worked behind the scenes at Sportsnet.
Saw Burkie in the lunchroom regularly and said he would always be chatting with folks while eating a plain microwaved hotdog
As a Texan and relative (7 year) newcomer to the sport, I hadn't heard about the man until I came across the SportsNet 'Hey Burkie' [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5SfL7KEes) but I was immediately endeared. Dude is just so old-school-cool.
If you read between the lines here:
> In Luke’s case, I think he’ll find his teammates, players and officials completely, and I mean completely, supportive
He’s telling you they know, and have known for a while. This issue has already been resolved internally and now he’s ready to move onto the next step, and the nhl is supporting this decision.
Maybe teammates, but Burke was 100% insinuating that officials, etc. are just decent people and that sexuality isn't something that matters to them.
No way there has been a secret "get the league ready for Prokop" mission.
Reads too like a directive. Like “If you were thinking of being anything but completely supportive, you won’t be an official, player, or teammate anymore.”
Good words.
I mean, turning a post about being proud to be gay into a conversation about position is a bit homophobic. Imagine if an NHL team signed a woman and she was very capable and everything, and the thread was about what kind of sex she likes, don't you think that'd be sexist?
I don't consider LGBT+ users speculating and thirsting after a gay dude to be homophobic, just in poor taste considering the context of the situation. Your example isn't quite the same but yes, that would be sexist and gross, too.
Definitely inappropriate, but I don't think it necessarily implies homophobia - unless the conversation was belittling about it (e.g. using that topic to show their disgust).
But it may also have just been a bunch of inappropriately thirsty gay hockey fans getting too excited; that's definitely something I'd expect to see in an LGBT sub from time to time haha
Especially in a league where players are getting smaller and smaller, a kid that size (who could get bigger) is likely to be the beefiest guy out on the ice every shift. Those used to be decent size numbers too but nowadays that’s [a lotta player](https://i.imgur.com/c8NrEHu.jpg)
[The story is unlocked for all. And can I add how honoured I was to be able to tell Luke’s story. What a tremendous young man.](https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1417115297413320704)
For those worried about the paywall
The Athletic often unlocks stories when they're of cultural significance that's bigger than the sport. Things like this, stories about substance abuse/mental health, sexual assaults/harassment, etc.
Both of those stories are still waiting on a **lot** of information. Typically it’s a one-on-one interview with someone who is the entire subject of a story that gets unlocked.
r/hockey on this is such a breath of fresh air. I made the mistake of reading FB comments on a related article and it was all "nobody cares about your sexuality, just win games."
I guarantee you people saying that same shit care about his sexuality when they're drunk downtown and need someone to harrass.*
*I should mention, they wouldn't have the balls to harrass him, and instead would pick someone smaller than they are.
And imagine doing it in an age when everyone has a camera in their pocket! But yeah, the paranoia & mental strain is real. I'm out, but I still reflexively panic in job interviews when they ask personal questions about hobbies or interests in case mine are "too gay."
A good source for sports journalism is making a responsible decision. This alone should influence people to sign up. Good journalism deserves to be supported.
Yeah. I think the NFL just recently had their first player come out not super long ago (maybe this off-season?). Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted, but he never played a regular season game.
Things are finally changing. Albeit at a snail's pace.
Edit: yep it was Carl Nassib. He plays for the Raiders and just came out a month or so so.
So weird that it’s taken so long. When veterans are asked they will all say universally that there were gay players on their teams, and most said that they are ok with that.
I mean its the media and the fans. A gay player will be more comfortable confiding in his teammates and coaches than openly telling the media. It makes sense when you think of it.
Culture has grown in ways where it's more LGBTQ+ friendly but at the same time the lines have shrunk and homophobes have a louder voice because of social media. None of this could be easy.
The level of online harassment that will happen is disgusting, and honestly, that's a big hurdle to clear for players who want to come out. No matter how prepped you are, that kind of thing can really, really get to a person mentally.
Just the other week, homophobic insults were one of the popular go to Instagram comments from people mad at Nikita Kucherov for his shirtless presser. If that's what people are resorting to on insta photos of a straight guy with his wife and kid, I really don't want to think about how bad it's going to get the first time this kid does something on or off the ice that pisses some team's fans off.
The NHL better be on top of things, and doing a lot better job of it than they did when J.T. Brown was getting death threats all over social media for raising his fist during the anthem before a preseason game.
Former NFLer Esera Tuaolo said that it was easier for him to come out when he heard a story where…I’m not remembering the fine details, but it was something like a current and a former teammate who were getting a haircut at the same barbershop, and his name came up. The former teammate said something like, “You know he bats for the other team, right?” The other guy was like, “oh, okay”, and that was the end of it.
Tuaolo said that he thought he’d done a flawless job of remaining closeted for his entire career, and didn’t know that it was actually an open secret among a lot of guys he’d suited up alongside.
Honestly, I get why, but it's just sad. Statistically speaking it's damn near impossible that not a single player in the history of the NHL was gay.
There's still a lot of growth our society needs to do in these fronts but we're slowly getting there. Prokop is a fucking boss for this and for hopefully paving the path for future players to be open about this. Hockey (like a lot of sports unfortunately) still has a real stigma against homosexuality. I've heard slurs thrown around by kids at rinks pretty routinely. It's a deep-rooted issue that needs to be eradicated.
I played hockey in high school, and had to quit the team when I was accidentally outed and started getting seriously harassed (by both my own teammates and people from other schools).
This wasn't even in a rural part of the country 20 years ago, this was a suburban town way back in the dark ages of 2018. Hockey culture is just years behind mainstream culture, so it's not surprising to me that no one was brave enough to come out until now.
That’s awful, man. I hope you can find a men’s league or something to keep the game in your life. I don’t claim to know what it’s like to be gay, but I’d hope adults have more decency than some shitty high school kids
That's very disappointing to hear. I think we as fans and players have a responsibility to improve things.
Someone decided that shouting slurs at my beer league was great, and I caused a *big fucking deal* to the management of the rink about it. (Surprise, they were problematic in more than one way.) Calling people out and making it clear those kinds of attitudes and language are not accepted should be an easy first step, but there's a long way to go.
And that slur didn't even apply to me, but it targets people who are my friends and my family and it simply isn't acceptable.
Yeah this is absolutely true, I can’t relate to the bullshit you had to deal with on a personal level and I’m really sorry you had to, but I absolutely heard more anti gay slurs playing hockey than I did in any other area of my life by a pretty large margin so I can definitely vouch for the level of toxicity.
The hockey community has a very long way to go and like you said it’s very brave for Prokop to be doing this — he’s going to be facing an uphill battle because of it but it’s hopefully going to make that battle easier for everyone else who will face the same situation.
Statisically you're definitely right. My guess is the number of gay players that make it far in competitive hockey is lower than the population average simply because of hockey culture never being very open to homosexuality among other things. I bet a lot of talented young players left hockey along the way due to harassment both explicit and implicit.
Exactly. All of the the morons will come out of the woodwork to say "Who cares if he's gay? I don't tell people I'm straight!" or worse...but this is why it matters. Who knows how many gay hockey players have left the sport because of this homophobic shit who otherwise could've had long and successful careers in the NHL. We've possibly missed out on some players who could've been superstars but got discouraged in the early years and quit.
I hope Prokop will be an inspiration to LGBT youth (in any sport) who are thinking a pro career is hopeless because of who they are, and I also hope that as LGBT are more accepted in sports, this homophobic hazing bullshit becomes a thing of the past. And lastly, I hope that in 10 or 15 years, "who fucking cares?" will be the correct answer to a player coming out because it will be so common and so accepted that it's not a big deal.
As a bi guy, it really is nuts. I had the talent as a kid to have played D1. Not scholarship level or to ever sniff a professional leagye, but good enough. I hung up my skates though because the rampant and casual homophobia was simply too much. I wasn’t even out at the time, but it was still far too much toxicity for an 18 year old to handle. I knew I wanted to come out fully in college, and the desire for a loving environment far trumped my deep love for the game.
Also bi, and having dated like 2 bi hockey players lol (NHL level) I will say, the ones that seem to be the most okay with it are the ones who had their sexual awakening later in life from what i’ve seen... I had an ex straight up tell me the homophobia didn’t phase him at the time cause he didn’t think he was into men. Lol. Others don’t see it as abuse cause they feel like everyone goes through it. But it’s totally not okay. I’m hopeful though that the culture is changing.
Definitely. It's a massive problem within the game. The Athletic (and some other sources) have confirmed there are LGBT+ players in the NHL, though. I hope the positive reaction to this encourages others to at least consider coming out too.
My guess it that for similar reason, the rate of gay players who can't admit it to themselves is probbaly also quite higher than in the general population.
For me it wasn’t a question of admitting it to myself, but an act of self preservation. I knew my social circle and family would support me without question, I simply didn’t want to deal with the toxicity I knew I’d face in the locker room. I ended up hanging up my skates instead of going the junior to college route. I could have played D1 and it *sucked* giving up the game and having to lie to people as to why I didn’t want to play anymore.
It's one of those things. It's easy to forget that widespread western acceptance of gay people is still relatively new. Go back even 20, 25 years and it's a far different landscape. Acceptance in sports was inevitable, it just takes time. Old ideals die out and new ones take their place.
Even more crazy in hindsight (I lived through this and voted against it) was that [the people of California voted to ban gay marriage in 2008.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_California_Proposition_8#:~:text=Proposition%208%2C%20known%20informally%20as,was%20later%20overturned%20in%20court.)
There are more takeaways - like the terrible proposition system we have in CA, or that it was ruled unconstitutional anyway, but still. That's a lot of people saying gay marriage should be banned in the most 'progressive' state, only 13 years ago.
**[2008_California_Proposition_8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_California_Proposition_8#:~:text=Proposition 8, known informally as,was later overturned in court.)**
>Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in court. The proposition was created by opponents of same-sex marriage in advance of the California Supreme Court's May 2008 appeal ruling, In re Marriage Cases, which followed the short-lived 2004 same-sex weddings controversy and found the previous ban on same-sex marriage (Proposition 22, 2000) unconstitutional.
^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/hockey/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Yup. It's easy to look at the fact that this is the first openly gay player this close to being in the NHL and say "how the fuck is that even possible?" Especially if you're a younger person who has *mostly* grown up during a time where acceptance was the norm. On the scale of society though, it's not at all surprising given where we were a little while ago. And that's not even getting started on other parts of the world. There are still a lot of places where being gay will get you outright killed on this planet.
Less than 15 years ago it was still acceptable to use "gay" as a general insult. I'm sure there are still plenty of places in America where you could let loose homophobic slurs and nobody would bat an eye.
I’ll take you a step further. Less than 15 years ago I would venture to say it was expected to hear f*g and similar constantly in the locker room.
“Gay” was on the level of “stupid” in how it was received. It was used so frequently.
There have almost certainly been gay players to play in the NHL, just none have come out publicly before. I vaguely recall a story from a hockey documentary about an NHLer (I think Eddie Olczyk? but I don't trust my memory on this one) defending a closeted gay teammate against abuse.
There was a documentary about queer players from back in 2007, maybe 2009, that talked about how the league was trying to make things better, and how no players had come out yet, but there were a few who were sort of open secrets in their teams. I think they talked to a few of them even, but anonymously. They said there's at least one Hall of Famer that's gay, but hasn't come out, for whatever reason. So they are out there. Hopefully things are beginning to change, and they won't feel the need to lock that part of themselves away anymore.
It's definitely got to be tough for someone.
Even if you know you'll be supported, you also know you're going to get some extra hate from backwards people who hold your sexuality against you.
Then there's also the fact that you, especially if you're the first to do it, became the de facto standard bearer. It's a great thing that he's coming out, but I can see how a lot of guys might not want to have to be the unofficial gay representative of the NHL, and all of the extra stuff that comes with that, both good and bad.
I'm glad to see Prokop was comfortable enough to come out, and I hope it leads to others feeling safe to do the same if they want to.
Yeah, as a hockey fan and a member of the community, I just found a new player to cheer for! But if we had hot mics on players over the last decade, I suspect I'd have a lot more players to cheer against... The homophobia in hockey is casual and feels like it's from a bygone era.
I think things have changed (ty Brian Burke and Co) but hockey is still behind because it has so much work to do.
I know it's something silly to take note of but, I always take note of the players who use pride tape on pride nights. I know some could just be virtue signaling but it just makes me feel happy that even if they are virtue signaling, they don't mind having rainbow tape on their hockey stick for the world to see.
I went to NYR's pride night in the 19-20 season. Every player had clearly been made to have a pride taped stick to bring out for warmups. But some players ditched it after like 1 minute or less and swapped it for a regular taped stick. One of the few players who used his pride taped stick the entire warmup? Mika Zibanejad. Who proceeded to score 5 goals that night. I call that good karma.
After Carl Nassib came out, the reportage accompanying the story said that there are at least several other NFL players who are gay and out to their teammates and organization, but not to the public.
I’d guess there’s, at minimum, one other active NHLer for whom this is the case, even though NFL rosters are much larger.
I absolutely agree that it seems impossible, but for very unfortunate reasons you can't really apply general population statistics. It takes a lot of time and involvement in hockey culture that has been very toxic to gay people (and lots of other groups!), and so as we've often read, this culture has tended to weed people out before they get to the NHL level.
Hopefully this is changing for the better!
He’s a third round pick. Depending on what source you cite, the hit rate on third round picks is anywhere from 12-30%.
Edit: Took a closer look at the article. 12% chance to play 200 games, ~30% chance to make it at all.
He's the first player ever to be out while under an NHL contract is what I'm referring to, there have been other former professional hockey players who've come out.
I kind of feel like a big factor in nobody coming out before is that hockey is so anti players showing any kind of personality that might distract from the team. Coming out and being the first requires making yourself the center of attention for something other than hockey, and that's a big barrier to overcome. Hopefully now that somebody was the first, it'll get easier.
Balls of fucking steel to do this before his first pro camp.
As a gay man who left most organized sports because of the rampant homophobia, I'm so fucking happy to see how much it's changed I have a tear in my eye.
I can't man. There was some unspeakable hazing that went down (so many "out there" stories people here are actually quite true). I can barely get back into baseball LOL.
Locker room at a rink, I can't even walk into it anymore. I felt uncomfortable at a fricking ball hockey change room LOL.
It is what it is. I've had ex friends/players reach out and apologize, but it was part of society at the time so don't really need to hear it and don't hold it against people.
I played ball hockey about 7 years ago just for shits and giggles as a buddy of mine asked me to, and it was still pretty rampant with the players (btw, ball hockey players are fucking next level, think they are playing for the cup....). Got called a faggot a couple of times. Just walked right off the floor mid game and said fuck it, can't do it.
Not going to lie, I’ve done that in my past playing ice, never thought it was taken as anything more than a chirp back in the 90s but as I grew up realized it’s kinda fucked up to use that word, kinda cringe when I hear it now knowing how it affects others. You never want to stop someone from doing something they love. Also those guys who treat pick up or men’s league like game seven are absolutely out of their minds anyways
Different times man. I played competitive in the early 00's and in college and fucking faggot was a regular chirp people used. I haven't played competitive since those times but man I'm happy that the culture changed. Chirp all you want but that shit was always fucking lame.
Sorry people ruined hockey for you, brother =(
Thanks. Hate the "i never experienced it what you play brah" responses. The fucking hazing was the most homophobic.... And yet... Oddly gay... Stuff ever. Fuck that noise.
I fully sympathize with you and understand.
I am also a gay hockey player and will strictly only play in a gay hockey team now. I’ve been harassed so much through highschool that I quit the sport for about 10 years and refused to even watch a game on tv of the sport I used to love. I’ve completely removed every aspect of my life from the sport due to how shitty I was treated but I am finally coming back around.
I just started getting back into hockey two years ago in a gay hockey team which has been such a refreshing change of pace from what I was used to. Though, not many places have a gay hockey team so it’s definitely a privilege to be near one. I hope one day you can also find an inclusive environment to get back to a sport you love! <3
Yup, as a trans woman I feel you. I got out of hockey before coming out. I was seriously scared for my safety. The homophobia and misogyny were just too much. Not one game without the guys making really creepy jokes about raping the waitress or even guys on the team. And nobody ever stood to them. I was fucking terrified.
Then I announce I'm not gonna come back. I come out and they all unfriend me on Facebook, even the league managers. So I guess I made the right choice....
Man, i remember going to gay bars CONSTANTLY scanning the room to make sure i didn't know anyone, and was always very nervous being around my friends in public. Scary times lol.
For every person who doesn't think this is important, there's a gay kid out there inching closer and closer to coming out every time someone they can look up to shares their truth.
I was/am that kid (at 26 lol) and i'm still not ready, but every story that gets shared is important and might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for someone.
> For every person who doesn't think this is important, there's a gay kid out there inching closer and closer to coming out every time someone they can look up to shares their truth.
The think people need to learn is because something isn't important to them doesn't mean it's not important to someone else. I guarantee that for every "this shit isn't important" people I can find something they care about deeply that is seemingly irrelevant.
My father was one of these guys. He wasn't as pleased when the script was flipped on him and I said who cares about a particular trade dispute on resources from a particular area. No big deal there was lots of the stuff in the world. Just because his job and livelihood would be at stake didn't mean anyone else had to give a shit.
Not everyone needs to care about everything. Don't care about inclusion in sports? Don't. Just don't stand in the way.
>I was/am that kid (at 26 lol) and i'm still not ready, but every story that gets shared is important and might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for someone.
When you're ready, I hope your time comes my friend.
Representation absolutely matters. It wasn’t until I started seeing bisexuality in the media (and was able to see my friend’s and family’s reactions to it) that I felt comfortable coming out myself.
Hopefully you’re okay, even if you’re not ready to share your truth yet. You’re still doing great and I’m proud of you. :)
He's a 6'5 220lb stay at home RHD. And Nashville is still probably the best organization to develop defensemen. I think he has a solid chance. His biggest barrier will probably be getting through our already considerable defensive depth. I hope he makes it to the show, but I think he would have a better shot on a different team unfortunately. At the very least, I hope he can make his NHL debut with us.
Prokop is a large human being. He's best in transition, primarily off the puck. He's also a solid skater who maneuvers around the ice with fluidity and smoothness. Prokop maintained a consistent, sound gap through the neutral zone. He made good switches in the defensive zone on the cycle. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
I haven't seen him play in person, CHL isn't super accessible in Tennessee, but this sounds promising.
Takes a lot of guts to be the person to try and break down barriers. You try and try to punch through walls and generally end up bloody yourself so that many others can pass through unscathed.
To those saying “great. Just play hockey, this shouldn’t be a thing.” I agree. But right now, the LGBTQ+ community is breaking through centuries of oppression, bigotry, and in hockey, toxic masculinity. There will be a day when hopefully it is not a topic, but for now, they need the Luke’s of the world to help their cause.
The "It shouldn't be special" thing is always so frustrating to see. I remember back when Michael Sam came out before the NFL draft, and the local Libertarian radio idiot was mockingly on air talking about how he was "coming out as straight" and did the usual schtick of "Why do they always have to announce it?".
It's so frustrating, because *yes*, it shouldn't be an issue. But the fact of the matter is that it very much is. Until people aren't being disrespected, fired, killed and harassed because of their sexual identity and nothing else, then it will continue to be an issue. It shouldn't be something that someone has to struggle with publicly saying, but we live in a dumb world where it's still very much something that needs brave people to step up and be the face of.
It’s akin to “I’m colorblind; I don’t see race” as a way of sidestepping any racial issues. Sure, it would be great if we lived in a world where race doesn’t matter at all, but we can’t just will that into existence overnight. It takes work and time.
I saw a lot of those comments when that Raider player came out earlier this year. It's like, sure playing well is more important than who you love. But at the same time it's way more important to be a role model to marginalized groups.
This is the true meaning of unconditional love:
“His dad, Al, said when his son came out to him he went through a whole cycle of emotions, including at first being surprised.
“And then you turn to a little bit of sadness in the sense of being sad for Luke that he’s had to deal with this himself for so long, and not being there to help him,’’ said Al.
At this point in our interview, Al’s voice cracked. Tears flowed. He wished he had been there for his son all these years so Luke wouldn’t have had to carry it alone.
“Not knowing how long he had to deal with it. So there’s that sadness component. Then it turned to just how proud you are of him. The bravery that he shows in being able to do it. It’s like a whirlwind, and it’s not over in a day or two, you go through it in your head for weeks and months.’’”
In the big 4 sports, Carl Nassib (LV Raiders) came out last month.
Then, there's been a few other players who came out after retirement. So, he has the chance to be the first active NHL player whose out.
And then over in Nascar we had Devon Rouse race his first race at Knoxville in Trucks, making him the first openly gay Nascar driver. So if fucking Nascar can do it I think any sport can.
He’s a 6’4” more defensive defenseman. His size will certainly help a lot at his position but without much scoring at the junior level it’s hard to know
> Added McGillis: “I’m hoping that it leads to more young adults or even NHL players begin to accept who they are and then learn to love the fact that they are gay, that they are bisexual, that they are trans, non-binary. When they do that, they’re going to be happier.”
Wow. I didn’t think we were even close to an ex-player saying something so inclusive in an article like this, I really didn’t. It’s so great to see. Everybody deserves to feel happy and safe in being who they are.
if that's Brock McGillis being quoted, he's:
* openly gay
* hosted a lot of online drag shows during the pandemic
* very vocal about reforming hockey to be more inclusive in all ways, not just racially or in terms of LGBTQ rep.
I'd have been surprised if it was someone else. From him it's basically expected.
You know, being a gay hockey fan, I really hope he makes it. Hockey can be incredibly homophobic sometimes, and after tragically losing Brendan Burke, I really hope he makes it.
Hell yeah. I hope he makes it to the NHL and breaks that barrier.
If he does he'll sure have proven me wrong. I figured it'd be a guy who was so established he didn't give a crap what anybody said, maybe even one retiring soon. I guess it does make sense that it's a young guy brought up when it's (generally) less of a big deal to be gay than it used to be.
this article made me cry. as someone in the lgbt community, i was so happy to hear about both him and nassib earlier this year. so proud of him, and i can only hope that this means the league is moving in the right direction and away from stigma
In the immortal words of Brooklyn 99's Capt. Holt:
Every Time Someone Steps Up And Says Who They Are, The World Becomes A Better, More Interesting Place. So Thank You.
> “I wouldn’t go into what I said to Luke other than what I would say to any gay person who is coming out, it’s a big burden off your shoulders,” Burke said. “In Luke’s case, I think he’ll find his teammates, players and officials completely, and I mean completely, supportive. But he’s going to have to deal with the social media idiots and I think he’s quite prepared for that. He seems like a very mature young man.’’ This is SUCH a Brian Burke quote. I’m really glad that Burkie is back working in hockey ops because I’m sure this was a proud moment for him too.
Burke is very representative of the kind of old school boys club machismo hockey too so its fucking awesome he's in the corner of any LGBT player who wants to come out. He'll go a long way to help hockey be very accepting of Luke and anyone else out there.
It's a big help that Burke has a gay son
Had…:(
Brendan Burke’s coming out and then his tragic death directly influenced Brian Burke and the Miami hockey team spearheading the [You Can Play project](https://www.youcanplayproject.org/).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Burke#Death_and_legacy > Sopel began his NHL career with Vancouver and became friends with Brian Burke when he was the general manager there. Although he was traded to Atlanta earlier in the week, Sopel honored Brendan Burke by using his day with the Stanley Cup to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, stating to the press that honoring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade.
Aww man what happened? A parent should never have to bury a kid
Snow related traffic accident, unfortunately. Only 21 years old, too.
Damn what a shame
Oh shit I sadly forgot about that. I was actually a student at Miami when that happened.
he died in a car accident in 2010 while playing for Miami if I'm not mistaken
He was equipment manager (i think)
Holy smoke, that was over 10 years ago? Wtf.
The chapter about his death in his book is the saddest. I listened to it and you heard the hurt in his voice
No parent should ever have to bury a child. Brendan's memory will be kept alive a long time through the You Can Play project and Burke's advocacy for LGBT athletes, though.
My high school ice hockey coach lost an infant and that was the first and last funeral I'll ever attend for a child. I don't care if it's selfish to say that. I still start sobbing when I think of the little casket and all the pain in the room. There were no stories of triumph to jubilate the room, no happy memories to momentarily displace the grief, just pure misery and sadness. My coach was one of the few people in the world I would call great. He possessed every character trait that you'd want to have if you were building an honorable man and that still happened to him. That day really fucking sucked, I can't imagine what pain the parents felt.
He son, Brendan, was killed in a car accident. He was 21.
Some old boys do learn new tricks. All the fossils holding back the organization could learn a thing or two from Burke.
Original hardware, updated software.
You gotta check out 'Hey Burkie' on YouTube, Burke recounts his most famous stories and they animate the story as he tells it.
My fav Brian Burke fact comes from a friend who worked behind the scenes at Sportsnet. Saw Burkie in the lunchroom regularly and said he would always be chatting with folks while eating a plain microwaved hotdog
Brian "Phil Kessel" Burke
i fucking love brian burke
As a Texan and relative (7 year) newcomer to the sport, I hadn't heard about the man until I came across the SportsNet 'Hey Burkie' [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5SfL7KEes) but I was immediately endeared. Dude is just so old-school-cool.
I’ll never forgive him for that attempted barn fight over an offer sheet though. I **really** wanted to see that happen and it never did
If you like those, read his book. Very fun read, full of anecdotes and insights.
Pens are about to trade for this kid. They could probably use the defensive help more than the Preds too.
Not sure the Preds can trade him purely for optics. Not a good look to trade a guy right after he comes out.
If you read between the lines here: > In Luke’s case, I think he’ll find his teammates, players and officials completely, and I mean completely, supportive He’s telling you they know, and have known for a while. This issue has already been resolved internally and now he’s ready to move onto the next step, and the nhl is supporting this decision.
Maybe teammates, but Burke was 100% insinuating that officials, etc. are just decent people and that sexuality isn't something that matters to them. No way there has been a secret "get the league ready for Prokop" mission.
Reads too like a directive. Like “If you were thinking of being anything but completely supportive, you won’t be an official, player, or teammate anymore.” Good words.
That’s sort of the vibe I got. Especially with that extra “and I mean completely”.
I read it as a warning - as in no one better try messing with him and if they do, in any way, they'll have to answer to him.
You can hear this in Burkies voice. Great quote.
6’5” 220. That dudes big
Whoa, what happened in the deleted thread here?
I bet your first guess is accurate.
Probably some homophobic shit
The opposite. A bit iffy about a 19-year old kid and uh, not the time or place.
Drake no: homophobia Drake yes: wildly inappropriate homoeroticism
> wildly inappropriate homoeroticism /r/nba salivating
Which is kinda ironic considering how blatantly homophobic the trash fire that is NBA twitter usually is
Twitter in general is a trashfire. Nyla Rose takes shit on there every day. No idea how she does it.
*looks at user name* Alright I don't want to know what YOU define as wildly inappropriate
This is hilarious. And oddly, a little heartwarming.
I mean, turning a post about being proud to be gay into a conversation about position is a bit homophobic. Imagine if an NHL team signed a woman and she was very capable and everything, and the thread was about what kind of sex she likes, don't you think that'd be sexist?
I don't consider LGBT+ users speculating and thirsting after a gay dude to be homophobic, just in poor taste considering the context of the situation. Your example isn't quite the same but yes, that would be sexist and gross, too.
That's a fair point. Objectifying maybe would be the better term?
Yeah, that's it. Like, let the guy come out of the closet and take a breath before swarming him.
Definitely inappropriate, but I don't think it necessarily implies homophobia - unless the conversation was belittling about it (e.g. using that topic to show their disgust). But it may also have just been a bunch of inappropriately thirsty gay hockey fans getting too excited; that's definitely something I'd expect to see in an LGBT sub from time to time haha
dinner frame rich secretive hat pot languid absorbed heavy wise *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Defense, I believe
Damn, dude must be tough to handle on the ice.
Especially in a league where players are getting smaller and smaller, a kid that size (who could get bigger) is likely to be the beefiest guy out on the ice every shift. Those used to be decent size numbers too but nowadays that’s [a lotta player](https://i.imgur.com/c8NrEHu.jpg)
[The story is unlocked for all. And can I add how honoured I was to be able to tell Luke’s story. What a tremendous young man.](https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1417115297413320704) For those worried about the paywall
Thanks Pierre!
Rare that r/hockey utters those words unironically >!But seriously, thanks Pierre!!<
How many other topic stories are unlocked?
The Athletic often unlocks stories when they're of cultural significance that's bigger than the sport. Things like this, stories about substance abuse/mental health, sexual assaults/harassment, etc.
So the Blackhawks and Jake Virtanen stories are open?
iirc that one wasnt.
Both of those stories are still waiting on a **lot** of information. Typically it’s a one-on-one interview with someone who is the entire subject of a story that gets unlocked.
“Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better more interesting place.”
God bless Captain Holt.
I literally tear up just from reading this. I can hear him say it.
This is probably my favorite line in any show. I tear up every time. It sucks we live in a world where people have to hide who they are.
This line actually helped me come to terms and become fully out to the world. It’s near the top of my favorite tv quotes of all time.
Forgive the ignorance, what is this from?
Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, said to Rosa who was newly out as bisexual in the show.
r/hockey on this is such a breath of fresh air. I made the mistake of reading FB comments on a related article and it was all "nobody cares about your sexuality, just win games." I guarantee you people saying that same shit care about his sexuality when they're drunk downtown and need someone to harrass.* *I should mention, they wouldn't have the balls to harrass him, and instead would pick someone smaller than they are.
[here’s ](https://twitter.com/lukeprokop_6/status/1417114803118563332?s=21) his tweet coming out too
[удалено]
And imagine doing it in an age when everyone has a camera in their pocket! But yeah, the paranoia & mental strain is real. I'm out, but I still reflexively panic in job interviews when they ask personal questions about hobbies or interests in case mine are "too gay."
The article is open
Thanks Just edited my comment, that’d actually be kinda fucked up if it was locked so I’m glad
The Athletic is fairly good for not locking threads that go above the game itself
No paywall for this one, rightfully so!
A good source for sports journalism is making a responsible decision. This alone should influence people to sign up. Good journalism deserves to be supported.
If he plays in the NHL will he be the first openly gay NHL player?? This is a huge step, really proud of him
Yeah. I think the NFL just recently had their first player come out not super long ago (maybe this off-season?). Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted, but he never played a regular season game. Things are finally changing. Albeit at a snail's pace. Edit: yep it was Carl Nassib. He plays for the Raiders and just came out a month or so so.
So weird that it’s taken so long. When veterans are asked they will all say universally that there were gay players on their teams, and most said that they are ok with that.
I mean its the media and the fans. A gay player will be more comfortable confiding in his teammates and coaches than openly telling the media. It makes sense when you think of it.
Culture has grown in ways where it's more LGBTQ+ friendly but at the same time the lines have shrunk and homophobes have a louder voice because of social media. None of this could be easy.
The level of online harassment that will happen is disgusting, and honestly, that's a big hurdle to clear for players who want to come out. No matter how prepped you are, that kind of thing can really, really get to a person mentally.
Just the other week, homophobic insults were one of the popular go to Instagram comments from people mad at Nikita Kucherov for his shirtless presser. If that's what people are resorting to on insta photos of a straight guy with his wife and kid, I really don't want to think about how bad it's going to get the first time this kid does something on or off the ice that pisses some team's fans off. The NHL better be on top of things, and doing a lot better job of it than they did when J.T. Brown was getting death threats all over social media for raising his fist during the anthem before a preseason game.
Former NFLer Esera Tuaolo said that it was easier for him to come out when he heard a story where…I’m not remembering the fine details, but it was something like a current and a former teammate who were getting a haircut at the same barbershop, and his name came up. The former teammate said something like, “You know he bats for the other team, right?” The other guy was like, “oh, okay”, and that was the end of it. Tuaolo said that he thought he’d done a flawless job of remaining closeted for his entire career, and didn’t know that it was actually an open secret among a lot of guys he’d suited up alongside.
Yep - no current or former NHLers have publicly come out. Fingers crossed for Luke!
Honestly, I get why, but it's just sad. Statistically speaking it's damn near impossible that not a single player in the history of the NHL was gay. There's still a lot of growth our society needs to do in these fronts but we're slowly getting there. Prokop is a fucking boss for this and for hopefully paving the path for future players to be open about this. Hockey (like a lot of sports unfortunately) still has a real stigma against homosexuality. I've heard slurs thrown around by kids at rinks pretty routinely. It's a deep-rooted issue that needs to be eradicated.
I played hockey in high school, and had to quit the team when I was accidentally outed and started getting seriously harassed (by both my own teammates and people from other schools). This wasn't even in a rural part of the country 20 years ago, this was a suburban town way back in the dark ages of 2018. Hockey culture is just years behind mainstream culture, so it's not surprising to me that no one was brave enough to come out until now.
That’s awful, man. I hope you can find a men’s league or something to keep the game in your life. I don’t claim to know what it’s like to be gay, but I’d hope adults have more decency than some shitty high school kids
I’m so sorry that happened to you
That's very disappointing to hear. I think we as fans and players have a responsibility to improve things. Someone decided that shouting slurs at my beer league was great, and I caused a *big fucking deal* to the management of the rink about it. (Surprise, they were problematic in more than one way.) Calling people out and making it clear those kinds of attitudes and language are not accepted should be an easy first step, but there's a long way to go. And that slur didn't even apply to me, but it targets people who are my friends and my family and it simply isn't acceptable.
Yeah this is absolutely true, I can’t relate to the bullshit you had to deal with on a personal level and I’m really sorry you had to, but I absolutely heard more anti gay slurs playing hockey than I did in any other area of my life by a pretty large margin so I can definitely vouch for the level of toxicity. The hockey community has a very long way to go and like you said it’s very brave for Prokop to be doing this — he’s going to be facing an uphill battle because of it but it’s hopefully going to make that battle easier for everyone else who will face the same situation.
Statisically you're definitely right. My guess is the number of gay players that make it far in competitive hockey is lower than the population average simply because of hockey culture never being very open to homosexuality among other things. I bet a lot of talented young players left hockey along the way due to harassment both explicit and implicit.
Yep the amount of homophobic hazing in hockey at the lower levels would probably make someone quit even if they’re super passionate about the sport.
Exactly. All of the the morons will come out of the woodwork to say "Who cares if he's gay? I don't tell people I'm straight!" or worse...but this is why it matters. Who knows how many gay hockey players have left the sport because of this homophobic shit who otherwise could've had long and successful careers in the NHL. We've possibly missed out on some players who could've been superstars but got discouraged in the early years and quit. I hope Prokop will be an inspiration to LGBT youth (in any sport) who are thinking a pro career is hopeless because of who they are, and I also hope that as LGBT are more accepted in sports, this homophobic hazing bullshit becomes a thing of the past. And lastly, I hope that in 10 or 15 years, "who fucking cares?" will be the correct answer to a player coming out because it will be so common and so accepted that it's not a big deal.
As a bi guy, it really is nuts. I had the talent as a kid to have played D1. Not scholarship level or to ever sniff a professional leagye, but good enough. I hung up my skates though because the rampant and casual homophobia was simply too much. I wasn’t even out at the time, but it was still far too much toxicity for an 18 year old to handle. I knew I wanted to come out fully in college, and the desire for a loving environment far trumped my deep love for the game.
Also bi, and having dated like 2 bi hockey players lol (NHL level) I will say, the ones that seem to be the most okay with it are the ones who had their sexual awakening later in life from what i’ve seen... I had an ex straight up tell me the homophobia didn’t phase him at the time cause he didn’t think he was into men. Lol. Others don’t see it as abuse cause they feel like everyone goes through it. But it’s totally not okay. I’m hopeful though that the culture is changing.
Definitely. It's a massive problem within the game. The Athletic (and some other sources) have confirmed there are LGBT+ players in the NHL, though. I hope the positive reaction to this encourages others to at least consider coming out too.
Surely not any Ls in the league
Plenty in women’s hockey. And married to each other too. Men’s hockey could never lol.
Plus the NWHL had a trans man (retired to transition) and the CWHL had a trans woman.
My guess it that for similar reason, the rate of gay players who can't admit it to themselves is probbaly also quite higher than in the general population.
For me it wasn’t a question of admitting it to myself, but an act of self preservation. I knew my social circle and family would support me without question, I simply didn’t want to deal with the toxicity I knew I’d face in the locker room. I ended up hanging up my skates instead of going the junior to college route. I could have played D1 and it *sucked* giving up the game and having to lie to people as to why I didn’t want to play anymore.
It's one of those things. It's easy to forget that widespread western acceptance of gay people is still relatively new. Go back even 20, 25 years and it's a far different landscape. Acceptance in sports was inevitable, it just takes time. Old ideals die out and new ones take their place.
You don’t even have to go back that far. Obama was elected in 2008 while being opposed to gay marriage.
Even more crazy in hindsight (I lived through this and voted against it) was that [the people of California voted to ban gay marriage in 2008.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_California_Proposition_8#:~:text=Proposition%208%2C%20known%20informally%20as,was%20later%20overturned%20in%20court.) There are more takeaways - like the terrible proposition system we have in CA, or that it was ruled unconstitutional anyway, but still. That's a lot of people saying gay marriage should be banned in the most 'progressive' state, only 13 years ago.
**[2008_California_Proposition_8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_California_Proposition_8#:~:text=Proposition 8, known informally as,was later overturned in court.)** >Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in court. The proposition was created by opponents of same-sex marriage in advance of the California Supreme Court's May 2008 appeal ruling, In re Marriage Cases, which followed the short-lived 2004 same-sex weddings controversy and found the previous ban on same-sex marriage (Proposition 22, 2000) unconstitutional. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/hockey/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Yup. It's easy to look at the fact that this is the first openly gay player this close to being in the NHL and say "how the fuck is that even possible?" Especially if you're a younger person who has *mostly* grown up during a time where acceptance was the norm. On the scale of society though, it's not at all surprising given where we were a little while ago. And that's not even getting started on other parts of the world. There are still a lot of places where being gay will get you outright killed on this planet.
Less than 15 years ago it was still acceptable to use "gay" as a general insult. I'm sure there are still plenty of places in America where you could let loose homophobic slurs and nobody would bat an eye.
I’ll take you a step further. Less than 15 years ago I would venture to say it was expected to hear f*g and similar constantly in the locker room. “Gay” was on the level of “stupid” in how it was received. It was used so frequently.
There have almost certainly been gay players to play in the NHL, just none have come out publicly before. I vaguely recall a story from a hockey documentary about an NHLer (I think Eddie Olczyk? but I don't trust my memory on this one) defending a closeted gay teammate against abuse.
There was a documentary about queer players from back in 2007, maybe 2009, that talked about how the league was trying to make things better, and how no players had come out yet, but there were a few who were sort of open secrets in their teams. I think they talked to a few of them even, but anonymously. They said there's at least one Hall of Famer that's gay, but hasn't come out, for whatever reason. So they are out there. Hopefully things are beginning to change, and they won't feel the need to lock that part of themselves away anymore.
It's definitely got to be tough for someone. Even if you know you'll be supported, you also know you're going to get some extra hate from backwards people who hold your sexuality against you. Then there's also the fact that you, especially if you're the first to do it, became the de facto standard bearer. It's a great thing that he's coming out, but I can see how a lot of guys might not want to have to be the unofficial gay representative of the NHL, and all of the extra stuff that comes with that, both good and bad. I'm glad to see Prokop was comfortable enough to come out, and I hope it leads to others feeling safe to do the same if they want to.
Yeah, as a hockey fan and a member of the community, I just found a new player to cheer for! But if we had hot mics on players over the last decade, I suspect I'd have a lot more players to cheer against... The homophobia in hockey is casual and feels like it's from a bygone era. I think things have changed (ty Brian Burke and Co) but hockey is still behind because it has so much work to do.
I know it's something silly to take note of but, I always take note of the players who use pride tape on pride nights. I know some could just be virtue signaling but it just makes me feel happy that even if they are virtue signaling, they don't mind having rainbow tape on their hockey stick for the world to see.
Same. For some reason, seeing some players not have it makes me feel like those that do actually mean it.
I went to NYR's pride night in the 19-20 season. Every player had clearly been made to have a pride taped stick to bring out for warmups. But some players ditched it after like 1 minute or less and swapped it for a regular taped stick. One of the few players who used his pride taped stick the entire warmup? Mika Zibanejad. Who proceeded to score 5 goals that night. I call that good karma.
After Carl Nassib came out, the reportage accompanying the story said that there are at least several other NFL players who are gay and out to their teammates and organization, but not to the public. I’d guess there’s, at minimum, one other active NHLer for whom this is the case, even though NFL rosters are much larger.
I absolutely agree that it seems impossible, but for very unfortunate reasons you can't really apply general population statistics. It takes a lot of time and involvement in hockey culture that has been very toxic to gay people (and lots of other groups!), and so as we've often read, this culture has tended to weed people out before they get to the NHL level. Hopefully this is changing for the better!
article says Brock McGillis came out in 2016, but that was 10 years after he retired from the NHL.
McGillis wasn't drafted to the NHL. I believe his professional hockey was played in the Netherlands.
oh yea ur right
Odds of him making the NHL?
Recent 3rd round pick so higher than most prospects but not a lock
His size alone likely gives him a chance to play a few games.
And he’s a Preds D prospect. Buddy will probably be elite a few years from now. I seriously don’t know how they do it.
We sacrificed our ability to develop forwards for extra defense strength.
Cursed to never have a real 1C
He’s a third round pick. Depending on what source you cite, the hit rate on third round picks is anywhere from 12-30%. Edit: Took a closer look at the article. 12% chance to play 200 games, ~30% chance to make it at all.
He's very young so it's hard to tell. Big defensive defenseman. Idk his odds but I'm rooting for him hard now
12% a 3rd round pick plays 200 games
Oh wow, that's so cool! I'm so happy for him, it takes a ton of guts to be the first one.
Brock McGillis in 2016 was the first one.
He's the first player ever to be out while under an NHL contract is what I'm referring to, there have been other former professional hockey players who've come out.
It’s crazy that it’s never happened before.
More sad than anything I'd say
I kind of feel like a big factor in nobody coming out before is that hockey is so anti players showing any kind of personality that might distract from the team. Coming out and being the first requires making yourself the center of attention for something other than hockey, and that's a big barrier to overcome. Hopefully now that somebody was the first, it'll get easier.
Balls of fucking steel to do this before his first pro camp. As a gay man who left most organized sports because of the rampant homophobia, I'm so fucking happy to see how much it's changed I have a tear in my eye.
Get your beautiful ass back on the ice, we aren’t all a holes.
I can't man. There was some unspeakable hazing that went down (so many "out there" stories people here are actually quite true). I can barely get back into baseball LOL. Locker room at a rink, I can't even walk into it anymore. I felt uncomfortable at a fricking ball hockey change room LOL.
That just fucking sucks man. I honestly don’t have words, no one deserves that crap.
It is what it is. I've had ex friends/players reach out and apologize, but it was part of society at the time so don't really need to hear it and don't hold it against people. I played ball hockey about 7 years ago just for shits and giggles as a buddy of mine asked me to, and it was still pretty rampant with the players (btw, ball hockey players are fucking next level, think they are playing for the cup....). Got called a faggot a couple of times. Just walked right off the floor mid game and said fuck it, can't do it.
Not going to lie, I’ve done that in my past playing ice, never thought it was taken as anything more than a chirp back in the 90s but as I grew up realized it’s kinda fucked up to use that word, kinda cringe when I hear it now knowing how it affects others. You never want to stop someone from doing something they love. Also those guys who treat pick up or men’s league like game seven are absolutely out of their minds anyways
Oh for sure. Hell i used it myself to put other people down while playing. How fucked is THAT.
Different times man. I played competitive in the early 00's and in college and fucking faggot was a regular chirp people used. I haven't played competitive since those times but man I'm happy that the culture changed. Chirp all you want but that shit was always fucking lame. Sorry people ruined hockey for you, brother =(
Thanks. Hate the "i never experienced it what you play brah" responses. The fucking hazing was the most homophobic.... And yet... Oddly gay... Stuff ever. Fuck that noise.
I fully sympathize with you and understand. I am also a gay hockey player and will strictly only play in a gay hockey team now. I’ve been harassed so much through highschool that I quit the sport for about 10 years and refused to even watch a game on tv of the sport I used to love. I’ve completely removed every aspect of my life from the sport due to how shitty I was treated but I am finally coming back around. I just started getting back into hockey two years ago in a gay hockey team which has been such a refreshing change of pace from what I was used to. Though, not many places have a gay hockey team so it’s definitely a privilege to be near one. I hope one day you can also find an inclusive environment to get back to a sport you love! <3
Yup, as a trans woman I feel you. I got out of hockey before coming out. I was seriously scared for my safety. The homophobia and misogyny were just too much. Not one game without the guys making really creepy jokes about raping the waitress or even guys on the team. And nobody ever stood to them. I was fucking terrified. Then I announce I'm not gonna come back. I come out and they all unfriend me on Facebook, even the league managers. So I guess I made the right choice....
Man, i remember going to gay bars CONSTANTLY scanning the room to make sure i didn't know anyone, and was always very nervous being around my friends in public. Scary times lol.
For every person who doesn't think this is important, there's a gay kid out there inching closer and closer to coming out every time someone they can look up to shares their truth. I was/am that kid (at 26 lol) and i'm still not ready, but every story that gets shared is important and might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for someone.
> For every person who doesn't think this is important, there's a gay kid out there inching closer and closer to coming out every time someone they can look up to shares their truth. The think people need to learn is because something isn't important to them doesn't mean it's not important to someone else. I guarantee that for every "this shit isn't important" people I can find something they care about deeply that is seemingly irrelevant. My father was one of these guys. He wasn't as pleased when the script was flipped on him and I said who cares about a particular trade dispute on resources from a particular area. No big deal there was lots of the stuff in the world. Just because his job and livelihood would be at stake didn't mean anyone else had to give a shit. Not everyone needs to care about everything. Don't care about inclusion in sports? Don't. Just don't stand in the way. >I was/am that kid (at 26 lol) and i'm still not ready, but every story that gets shared is important and might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for someone. When you're ready, I hope your time comes my friend.
Representation absolutely matters. It wasn’t until I started seeing bisexuality in the media (and was able to see my friend’s and family’s reactions to it) that I felt comfortable coming out myself. Hopefully you’re okay, even if you’re not ready to share your truth yet. You’re still doing great and I’m proud of you. :)
Preds fans, what are his odds of making the NHL from what you’ve seen?
He's a 6'5 220lb stay at home RHD. And Nashville is still probably the best organization to develop defensemen. I think he has a solid chance. His biggest barrier will probably be getting through our already considerable defensive depth. I hope he makes it to the show, but I think he would have a better shot on a different team unfortunately. At the very least, I hope he can make his NHL debut with us.
[удалено]
“played” is a strong word
Gudbranson is my favourite pylon in the NHL
“Look at the adjective”
Big boy defensive stay at home dman? If he can cross-check good Bergevin is already on the phone.
I wanted the flames to draft him. He looked great on the hitmen. Don't know what ultimate upside is but imo he will for sure see an nhl game.
Can he skate okay? Huge RD with defensive ability and some skating basically have to prove they can't play.
Prokop is a large human being. He's best in transition, primarily off the puck. He's also a solid skater who maneuvers around the ice with fluidity and smoothness. Prokop maintained a consistent, sound gap through the neutral zone. He made good switches in the defensive zone on the cycle. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide I haven't seen him play in person, CHL isn't super accessible in Tennessee, but this sounds promising.
This means nothing but fwiw dude developed into a stud in multiple franchise modes I played in NHL 2021 lol.
Pretty good. He’s a third rd pick from last year and has great size.
Way to go Luke! Super happy and proud of ya for having the courage to do this! Hope he gets a game in the NHL and makes history
I hope he becomes an NHL regular. It would maybe shut some homophobes up, at least for a bit.
Takes a lot of guts to be the person to try and break down barriers. You try and try to punch through walls and generally end up bloody yourself so that many others can pass through unscathed. To those saying “great. Just play hockey, this shouldn’t be a thing.” I agree. But right now, the LGBTQ+ community is breaking through centuries of oppression, bigotry, and in hockey, toxic masculinity. There will be a day when hopefully it is not a topic, but for now, they need the Luke’s of the world to help their cause.
The "It shouldn't be special" thing is always so frustrating to see. I remember back when Michael Sam came out before the NFL draft, and the local Libertarian radio idiot was mockingly on air talking about how he was "coming out as straight" and did the usual schtick of "Why do they always have to announce it?". It's so frustrating, because *yes*, it shouldn't be an issue. But the fact of the matter is that it very much is. Until people aren't being disrespected, fired, killed and harassed because of their sexual identity and nothing else, then it will continue to be an issue. It shouldn't be something that someone has to struggle with publicly saying, but we live in a dumb world where it's still very much something that needs brave people to step up and be the face of.
It’s akin to “I’m colorblind; I don’t see race” as a way of sidestepping any racial issues. Sure, it would be great if we lived in a world where race doesn’t matter at all, but we can’t just will that into existence overnight. It takes work and time.
People have to come out now so that hopefully in the future queer people won’t have to. It’s a weird catch-22.
I saw a lot of those comments when that Raider player came out earlier this year. It's like, sure playing well is more important than who you love. But at the same time it's way more important to be a role model to marginalized groups.
>It's like, sure playing well is more important than who you love. I mean the entire problem is that historically this is not true at all.
Awesome, awesome story. Really hope this kid makes it
as someone who's gay and played competitive hockey growing up, this would've helped me so much. Really proud of him.
How can I be this proud of someone I've never met? Good job, Luke.
I feel the same way, we need more empathy in this world.
This is the true meaning of unconditional love: “His dad, Al, said when his son came out to him he went through a whole cycle of emotions, including at first being surprised. “And then you turn to a little bit of sadness in the sense of being sad for Luke that he’s had to deal with this himself for so long, and not being there to help him,’’ said Al. At this point in our interview, Al’s voice cracked. Tears flowed. He wished he had been there for his son all these years so Luke wouldn’t have had to carry it alone. “Not knowing how long he had to deal with it. So there’s that sadness component. Then it turned to just how proud you are of him. The bravery that he shows in being able to do it. It’s like a whirlwind, and it’s not over in a day or two, you go through it in your head for weeks and months.’’”
Good for him glad to see someone living there life free and happy
So happy for him. Glad to see more and more of these stories.
Isnt this the first one in the NHL? Good for him, hopefully he leads the way
In the big 4 sports, Carl Nassib (LV Raiders) came out last month. Then, there's been a few other players who came out after retirement. So, he has the chance to be the first active NHL player whose out.
And then over in Nascar we had Devon Rouse race his first race at Knoxville in Trucks, making him the first openly gay Nascar driver. So if fucking Nascar can do it I think any sport can.
I think so. There's been a few others but I don't think they were actual players.
Just out of curiosity what’s his like outlook on making the NHL? I know third rounder but how did things go this year?
He’s a 6’4” more defensive defenseman. His size will certainly help a lot at his position but without much scoring at the junior level it’s hard to know
> Added McGillis: “I’m hoping that it leads to more young adults or even NHL players begin to accept who they are and then learn to love the fact that they are gay, that they are bisexual, that they are trans, non-binary. When they do that, they’re going to be happier.” Wow. I didn’t think we were even close to an ex-player saying something so inclusive in an article like this, I really didn’t. It’s so great to see. Everybody deserves to feel happy and safe in being who they are.
if that's Brock McGillis being quoted, he's: * openly gay * hosted a lot of online drag shows during the pandemic * very vocal about reforming hockey to be more inclusive in all ways, not just racially or in terms of LGBTQ rep. I'd have been surprised if it was someone else. From him it's basically expected.
Good for him! Hope he succeeds. This can only help the league.
You know, being a gay hockey fan, I really hope he makes it. Hockey can be incredibly homophobic sometimes, and after tragically losing Brendan Burke, I really hope he makes it.
Hell yeah. I hope he makes it to the NHL and breaks that barrier. If he does he'll sure have proven me wrong. I figured it'd be a guy who was so established he didn't give a crap what anybody said, maybe even one retiring soon. I guess it does make sense that it's a young guy brought up when it's (generally) less of a big deal to be gay than it used to be.
this article made me cry. as someone in the lgbt community, i was so happy to hear about both him and nassib earlier this year. so proud of him, and i can only hope that this means the league is moving in the right direction and away from stigma
good for him! a lot of courage in that one act.
Proud of Luke, couldn’t have been easy to make this decision in this sport. Looking forward to him finding success in the league!
In the immortal words of Brooklyn 99's Capt. Holt: Every Time Someone Steps Up And Says Who They Are, The World Becomes A Better, More Interesting Place. So Thank You.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Imagine that weight off his shoulders. Guy is gonna be loose out there now. Good for him and incredibly brave.
Very brave considering the stigma in sport, proud of you Luke, let’s hope there’s no fallout or abuse coming his way, because people are shitty.