Montreal Canadiens would embrace a gay teammate. ‘Everyone would be supportive’
The support players and coaches for the Montreal Canadiens are a welcome sign for a league that has had zero out players in its history. The post Montreal Canadiens would embrace a gay teammate. ‘Everyone would be supportive’ appeared first on Outsports.
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If a gay NHL player ever decides to come out publicly, the Montreal Canadiens would be a team that would embrace him, including the coach.
“I know everyone would be supportive. Definitely would never be a problem,” defenseman Kaiden Guhle told the Stu Cowan of Montreal Gazette. His comments were echoed by teammate Jake Evans and coach Martin St. Louis.
“I know we’re all very open in here and welcoming,” Evans said, while St. Louis commented, “I think forget sports … I think we’re in a society now that people do come out.”
The NHL stands alone as the only major North American men’s pro sports league to never have had an active out gay player, or even one who came out while retired. In his column, Cowan talked to a former hockey writer who said that about 25 years ago an active NHL player wanted to come out but got cold feet. Outsports has heard similar tales of NHL players over the years.
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For Guhle, playing with a gay teammate would be nothing new, having played with Luke Prokop in the minor leagues. “I played with Luke Prokop and grew up with Luke Prokop (a fellow Edmonton native) for a long time,” he said. “I know he was kind of the first one to come out that was under an NHL contract. So, for sure, I think definitely the time will come when someone will and just kind of open it up for everyone else.”
The success of the gay hockey drama “Heated Rivalry” has spurred discussions in the NHL about out players, even soliciting comments from commissioner Gary Bettman. Ironically, neither Guhle nor Evans of the Canadiens has watched the show, though they support it being produced.
“I haven’t watched it … I’m not really a huge TV guy to begin with,” Guhle added. “But it’s a good show for that kind of stuff. Definitely good for that community. I’ve heard it’s good, with good storylines and stuff.”
The fact that awareness of “Heated Rivalry” has penetrated NHL locker rooms is a positive sign, and while the Canadiens players are far from the first to say they’d support a gay teammate, the more voices the better.
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The post Montreal Canadiens would embrace a gay teammate. ‘Everyone would be supportive’ appeared first on Outsports.
