NHL continues streak as only major men’s league with no out gay players in history

As the NHL season started this week, the league continued a streak unique among the four North America major men’s pro team sports: There are no out gay current or former players.

The NFL has had 16 out gay or bi players in its history, including one who played while active. In the NBA, Jason Collins made history in 2013 while coming out as gay in the NBA while active. MLB has had three out gay players in its history, all who came out after retiring.

The NHL? Zero, nada, zilch. That’s sad considering the league has been around since 1917. But hope is on the horizon in the form of an out gay minor league player.

It’s not there gay players don’t exist in the league. Back in 1993 I was on a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio show called the “Last Closet,” where two then-active gay NHL players were interviewed with their voices altered (they never came out). About 10 years ago, there were rumors that at least two players would be coming out and it never happened.

Brock McGillis, a former pro hockey player (though not in the NHL) is among those who have discussed hockey’s culture of being tough as a reasons players have not come out or left the sport at an early age after realizing they are gay.

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“When you socially reengineer the way [hockey players] look at being tough — it actually takes courage to change things. It takes real courage,” said McGillis, who is promoting a culture shift in the sport with a speaking series called the “Shiftmakers Tour” that is getting high praise from players and staff in pro hockey. “It was definitely eye-opening for everyone,” said a member of the American Hockey League’s Rockford Icehogs about McGillis’ talk.

It’s not as if the current culture in the NHL is overtly anti-gay. The league caused anger when it banned Pride jerseys two years ago, but relented on the use of Pride Tape when stars pushed back. And those stars, which includes players like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, has long voiced support for having an out gay teammate. I am certain an out player would be pretty universally accepted.

Related

Gay pro hockey player Luke Prokop joins new AHL team in fresh NHL system
Luke Prokop has signed a deal to play for the Bakersfield Condors, an AHL team affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL.

Gay former hockey pro launches new tour to build LGBTQ inclusion in the sport
Brock McGillis has built the most powerful program combatting homophobia and supporting gay athletes in all of hockey.

Hope for the NHL in the minors

Yet there is a chance that the 0-for-108 years streak of no out gay players could end because of Luke Prokop. The 22-year-old, 6-4 defenseman came out as gay in 2021, becoming the first active player under NHL contract to publicly do so. He has played in the minor leagues for eight years and now plays for Bakersfield (Calif.) Condors of the American Hockey League, a feeder system for the NHL. The Condors are affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers.

Prokop came out at 19 and has been a proud advocate for LGBTQ people in hockey and beyond.

“Being visible in the community and showing my love and appreciation, and love and support for the community, I think, is a really important thing,” Prokop said about his appearance as the grand marshal of Milwaukee’s Pride Parade this year. Prokop played for two seasons with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

I am not an NHL scout and don’t know whether Prokop will ever get called up to the NHL, something he called “a goal of mine ever since I was really little.”  The fact that he is in the pipeline and has a chance gives gay hockey fans hope that a long drought might one day end.

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