Out hockey player Luke Prokop scores another big goal. Is a spot in the NHL next?
Prokop, the only out gay pro hockey player in North America, scored a game-winning goal over the weekend.
Luke Prokop’s record on the ice is pretty stellar. The only out gay pro hockey player in North America, the NHL prospect has won two championships in two seasons.
And over the weekend, he scored maybe the most impressive goal of his young career.
A game-winner!
Prokop’s team, the Atlanta Gladiators, were tied with the South Carolina Stingrays in overtime Friday. With roughly three minutes left, Prokop was standing in front of the net at the perfect time.
The defenseman was able to corral the loose puck and slap it past the goaltender, leading Atlanta to a 4-3 victory.
Prokop’s teammates mobbed him on the ice following his triumph. It was the Gladiators’ seventh straight win to start the season!
The Gladiators are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, who selected Prokop in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Prokop publicly came out as gay the following year, making him the first out player to ever be signed to an NHL contract.
He’s been a remarkable success since then. His previous two teams, the Edmonton Oil Kings and Seattle Thunderbirds, won championships in the Western Hockey League while he was on the squad.
For years, there was a homophobic fear across male pro sports that out gay players would be distractions and prevent their teams from winning. But that was completely wrong.
Gay athletes often experience success post-coming out, with many saying the freedom to live authentically allows them to play their best.
Look no further than Prokop, whose teammates clearly embrace him. The Edmonton native is tied for the team lead amongst defensemen in both assists (3) and points (5).
Prokop says he never worried about whether coming out would derail his hockey career.
“I was entirely okay with not playing anymore and just being who I wanted to be, because I found love from my family and friends,” he said in an interview with Glory Sports. “There was anxiety, for sure. But at the end of the day, I had to be true to myself.”
Now playing in a top minor league, Prokop is one step closer to the NHL. He says he’s never doubted the Predators’ belief in him.
“The phone call I had with [the Predators] was the last little bit of confidence I needed,” he said. “I knew they believed in me 100% and thought it was the right thing to do.”
While multiple NHL teams tiptoed around Pride-related controversies last season, the Predators continued their steadfast support of the LGBTQ+ community.
That’s a big deal, especially considering they play in conservative Tennessee.
“They have almost every excuse to not do the Pride stuff. Being in Tennessee, it’s more of a conservative state,” said Prokop. “So they might kind of be going against most people’s opinions. They have every right to not do the [Pride] nights, but they do it anyway. They want to show the game is for everyone.”
Prokop is demonstrating that’s the case through his play. The 21-year-old embraces his visibility.
Just last month, he took part in a Canadian sports docuseries, “Breaking Down Barriers.” In the promoted clip, one of Prokop’s teammates calls his coming out the “bravest thing” he’s ever seen somebody do.
It’s hard to earn higher praise than that! What’s all that talk about gay players not being accepted, again?
KING— Denice Pepe (@denicepepe) October 17, 2023
You’re amazing Luke
—
(@M4ddieSensFan) October 16, 2023
In the aforementioned clip, Prokop’s acknowledges his important place in LGBTQ+ sports history.
“I wanted to have an impact on the game that would be outside the hockey rink. I think I’ve done that,” he said. “I chose this path to come out, live my truth and let nothing stop me from getting there.”
He’s showing that each and every day, one goal at a time.
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