Report: NHL Actually Has Had Hundreds Of Openly Gay Players For Years

Gay hockey players list. No out gay athlet on the Natnal Hockey League (NHL) but some brave ele, pro and llege hockey players are out of the closet. * gay players in nhl *

Acrdg to experts, the league’s progrsive stance toward homosexualy also paved the way for the 2013 Philalphia Flyers, the only profsnal sports roster history to be prised entirely of gay players. “It’s nice to see the rt of the sports world begng to tch up to the NHL when to gay tolerance, ” said ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose, himself openly gay sce the early 1990s.

”“But whout a doubt, none of this would have been possible whout the unbelievable altism and open-mdns of the NHL fan base, ” add Melrose, “It’s far easier for players to be tly fortable their own sk knowg so many fans are gay too. Atralian A-League soccer star Josh Cavallo me out as gay an October vio posted to his social media, beg hailed as the first current male top-flight profsnal soccer player to publicly do so. The 28-year-old Natnal Football League player and Rairs fensive leman ma history when he me out as gay on Instagram durg Pri Month, beg the first veteran NFL player to e out as gay while signed to a regular-season ntract.

The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know. Corey Walsh, the 27-year-old pro BMX rir and Vans spokperson, said he isn't normally the type of person to "let people " on his personal life, but felt was important to e out as gay a March Instagram post bee "there are a lot of people still stgglg wh the same suatns" and he "jt wanted to let people know that they are not alone. Champn long track speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy never hid beg gay om his fay, iends, and fellow athlet, but he also wasn't one to rate his locker wh rabow Pri flags eher.

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Boston Bs forward Brad Marchand said he is nfint a gay player would be accepted the NHL if one cid to e out."Guys would accept , no qutn," Marchand told an terview published Tuday. "We're a team the [locker] room and a fay. It don't matter what different beliefs guys have, or where they e om, or whatever the se may be. Guys would accept ."Aga, the room, we're a fay. That's the way is on a hockey team, and that's the way will always be. It's bound to happen at some pot, and when do will be accepted." * gay players in nhl *

Apparently, he planned to e out when he was playg profsnally but the anti-gay jok he heard the locker room and worri about his job secury as a hockey player prompted him not ’s what he says about his g out: “It would be ial if I didn’t have to talk about this. Cotsonika as “the clost person to the NHL ever to e out publicly and say that he is gay” g out 2009 created que a stir the hockey world as his father, Brian Burke, is the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and of the US Olympic hockey team.

Brendan, on the left, wh kid brother Patrick Burke who now heads the NHL Department of Player Safety and -founr of the You Can Play Project which seeks to elimate “homophobic culture found some rners of hockey” McGillis, who once played for the Ontar Hockey League, me out as gay a November 2016 article on Yahoo Sports. Photo of Brock urty of >> Related Post: Shirtls Hockey PlayersHere’s what Brock wrote his Yahoo g-out article: “I was gay, but uldn’t share my secret wh anyone.

OPENLY GAY NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP CALLS OUT LACK OF 'INCLN' AFTER PLAYERS BOYTT PRI NIGHT

* gay players in nhl *

20-year-old Prokop, the first openly gay player wh a ntract unr the NHL, penned a thoughtful msage about players the league who have opposed wearg pri jerseys or g rabow stick tape durg their teams' annual pri events. I have heard the explanatns, rangg om the ludicro (there are no “gays” the league) to the simplistic (the game’s hateful, toxic male culture driv gay players unrground).

I believe, however, that won’t be long before the NHL has openly gay players lacg up their skat and others workg the ranks of management and hockey operatns. NHL missner Gary Bettman regnized this 2016 when he spoke about the league’s partnership wh the You Can Play anizatn, workg to dismantle barriers met by gay athlet sport. If and when that happens, believe me, that person will have the full support of the missner’s office” (om “Gary Bettman says NHL is ready for s first openly gay player, ” The Chigo Tribune, 29/06/2016) Commissner Gary Bettman (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)Today, hockey mt reflect the changg valu of s fan base.

AN INCLIVE NHL AWAS S FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER

Bayne Pettger, NHL's first openly gay hockey player agent, says the league's recent cisn to ban teams om donng Pri jerseys uld alienate the queer muny and disurage their participatn and support the game. * gay players in nhl *

Fans of the future will not accept homophobia the sports and entertament products they Are No Gay Players the NHL.., there are now and always have been gay players the NHL.

Nohels, acrdg to a 2017 Gallup study based on 340, 000 terviews, the percentage of Amerin adults intifyg as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr 2017 was 4.

That means that, over the years, there have probably been several hundred gay NHLers, all of whom prumably kept their sexual orientatn hidn om the still sist that, notwhstandg the odds, there are simply no gay men playg the NHL. Mark Tewksbury, an Olympic gold medalist swimmg at the 1992 Olympic gam, a former chef missn of Canada’s 2012 Summer Olympic team and a proment gay activist sports for many years, sffs at that ia. Canadian Olympian Mark Tewksbury on Gay Players the NHLAsked a Canadian Broadstg Corporatn terview why there are no gay players the NHL, he uld barely nta a lgh.

BRAD MARCHAND SAYS GAY TEAMMATE WOULD BE ACCEPTED

Many gay male hockey players and officials me out on Outsports this year. Together, they’re makg the sport’s culture more clive. * gay players in nhl *

One of whom was Glenn Burke, who me out while he was playg for the Oakland Athletics back 1977, and who said, “They n’t ever say now that a gay man n’t play the majors, bee I’m a gay man and I ma .

Speakg of the absence of openly gay players the NHL, Tampa Bay Lightng goaltenr Anrs Nilsson, a proment supporter of the LGBT+ muny, said, “When people say there are three to four gay players on each [NHL] team, I say no, absolutely not. ” He further explaed that if he had been gay, playg as a teen, he would have qu bee of the homophobic slurs on the ice, the drsg rooms and the stands – all over the hockey Nilsson as an Ottawa Senator (Js Starr/The Hockey Wrers)So, what’s up wh the NHL?

While there may be very few gay players the league or perhaps none at any given moment, ’s clear that over the s, there mt have been many skatg Hockey Culture to Blame? One of them is Brock McGillis, now an LGBTQ+ activist who played profsnal hockey the mor leagu and was one of the first pros to e out publicly as gay.

PREDATORS PROSPECT PROKOP OUT AS GAY, MAK NHL HISTORY

Two athlet recently g out has highlighted the arth of openly gay players the world of U.S. men's profsnal sports, often dubbed "the last closet" for s lack of LGBTQ reprentatn. * gay players in nhl *

He explaed, “There’s this ia that to be a hockey player, you have to be macho, hyper-mascule, a ‘bro’ tough guy…And the language and attus and actns wh the sport almost give the ia that if you’re gay, you’re ls than the thgs.

You’re weak, you’re soft, you’re effemate” (om “Culture of Hockey: Q&A wh Brock McGillis, the first openly gay pro hockey player, ” The Hockey News, 04/12/2019) slurs are mon hockey om midget hoe leagu to major junr and llege. (om “Hockey and Homophobia: We are All Complic, ” The Globe and Mail, 21/04/2016)McGillis poted to Mark Crawford’s one-month spensn 2019 as an example of the anti-gay culture that still permeat the league. Marc Crawford (THW Archiv)Worse still, former Calgary Flam head ach Bill Peters lost his job for g racist and, acrdg to McGillis, homophobic language.

CALLG PRI JERSEYS A DISTRACTN IS SENDG THE WRONG MSAGE, SAYS NHL'S FIRST OPENLY-GAY AGENT

The first openly gay profsnal hockey player says Leipsic will be nothg more than a fall guy if the NHL don’t beg to more serly te players on the power of their speech. * gay players in nhl *

Sce 2016, they’ve been an official partner of You Can Play, -found by Patrick Burke, a sut for the Philalphia Flyers and son of renowned hockey executive, broadster and gay rights activist Brian Burke, now vice print of hockey operatns for the Ptsburgh Pengus. ; he died a r accint You Can Play OrganizatnThe NHL also tablished the “Hockey is for Everyone” iative that the sport – and the league’s global fluence – to provi a posive environment for players, fai and fans of every race, lour, relign, natnal orig, genr, age, sexual orientatn, soc-enomic stat and for those wh players are also proment the effort to bat homophobia hockey. Boston Bs star Brad Marchand took a stand agast a homophobic slur directed at him on Twter 2017 and said of his fellow players, “Guys would accept , no qutn (if a gay player me out).

It’s a Different Culture That Stops Gay Players From Comg OutWhile would be hard to argue that the NHL has rid self entirely of homophobia, there n be no doubt that the blatant variety is no longer tolerated the league. And ’s why a gay player would feel ’s bt jt to stay the closet rather than bee a poster boy for gay rights at the expense of their team’s foc on wng champnships. That go for anybody who is the story of openly gay players the NHL has yet to be wrten, there are signs emergg on the periphery of the league that one day soon will be told.

In 2019, a 17-year-old Yanic Duplsis was drafted by the Dmmondville Voltigrs to bee the first openly gay player to be drafted to the Quebec Major Junr Hockey League (QMJHL) – a key steppg stone to the NHL. Guillme Latendrse as an Ottawa Senator (Michael Miller/Wikimedia Commons)Duplsis echo McGillis the belief that the key to gag wir acceptance is tn and puttg a human face on beg gay.

GAY MALE HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE G OUT DROV, AND CHANGG THE SPORT’S CULTURE

Le Prokop, a Nashville Predators draft pick and Alberta native, announced Monday that he was "proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay." * gay players in nhl *

Not only is the right thg to do, but the game will suffer if those bridg aren’t Nilsson summed up bt by sayg, “What happens is that we will lose gay players, who might otherwise have been the next Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid or Wayne Gretzky.

And some fai wh strong feelgs about thgs might feel that, regardls if their son is straight or gay, he shouldn’t play hockey bee they don’t want him that harsh culture where ach and players ll each other all sorts of thgs.

WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS

I hope that sharg who I am I n help other people see that gay people are wele the hockey muny, as we work to make sure that hockey tly is for everyone. "Vio: Le Prokop out as first gay player the NHLThe rponse om the NHL was immediate, startg wh NHL Commissner Gary Bettman, who spoke to Prokop by phone.

The first openly gay NHL agent, Bayne Pettger, dropped by the CBC Victoria stud to share his NHL has always had this stereotype of beg an old boys club, not beg able to grow. Wnipeg LGBTQ advot disappoted followg NHL's cisn to ban themed jerseysYou are the first openly gay NHL agent, and I know you work wh many players, but you're also iends wh many players this league. Jt keepg foced on the posive, bee we n go down that rabb hole of five players of 700 … that's not a player's boytt of team's Pri night tribute 'disrpectful' to gay muny: agentCan you take back three years ago to what that was like for you on a personal level, given the role you play a huge league like the NHL, to e out?

Unwele spotlight falls on NHL team Pri night eventsMy biggt fear was that I uldn't work hockey and be succsful and be gay, but fact 's been que the oppose. If a certa percentage of the populatn is queer, we need to have those seats at the table of Hockey 's Pri nights lli wh LGBTQ+ polil climateEveryone always asked me when we were gog to see the first gay NHL player.

GAY HOCKEY PLAYER: NHL HYPOCRIL TO NMN BRENDAN LEIPSIC WHOUT CHANGG CULTURE

Durg the quiet of the sprgtime sports shutdowns, two well-known NHL players, Stanley Cup champn Dt Penner and wger Brendan Leipsic, were ught postg horribly homophobic and misogynistic msag on social media. This year alone, longtime NCAA Divisn 1 ref Brian Hicks announced he was gay; player and referee Gordie Mchard me out; pro announcer Jonathan Kliment penned his g-out story. After a lifetime of hearg gay sults the rk — opponents were always lled “cksuckers” or “fuckg fags” — Wton cid to e out to his teammat a heartfelt speech.

When Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop me out this week, was the first time an active player unr ntract to an NHL team had ever publicly acknowledged they were gay. Overnight, Prokop's announcement doubled the number of out gay athlet currently playg the untry's four major men's sports — football, basketball, baseball and hockey.

NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP ANNOUNC HE'S GAY

Gay male athlet face cultural barriers Part of the reason for the lack of out gay players men's profsnal sports uld be that there are jt fewer of them the game.

AN N.H.L. PROSPECT IS THE FIRST SUCH PLAYER TO ANNOUNCE HE’S GAY

"Gay men are a fe rource, so they n't exist great numbers every quarter, " Magrath told "Gay men are overreprented some areas, and as a nsequence are gog to be unrreprented sports. NBA player Jason Colls, who me out 2013 while he was still playg the league, later told NPR " went great" when he scribed the perd after announcg he was gay.

PRO HOCKEY PLAYER JON LEE-OLSEN OUT AS GAY

After Michael Sam beme the first openly gay athlete to be drafted to the NFL 2014, then-Miami Dolphs safety Don Jon tweeted "horrible, " rultg penalti and a spensn. There are key differenc the cultur of men's and women's athletics While few active players the major men's sports leagu have e out, many female profsnal athlet have said publicly that they're gay, om U.

Last month, McGillis spoke wh Outsports about the importance of llg out hate-speech hockey, explag why he chose to highlight two-time Stanley Cup champn Dt Penner’s vile nspiracy-filled homophobic Twter timele. Former NHL biser Brandon Pst recently went on a Twter tira about “reverse racism” and star Bs forward David Pastrnak was ught g “you’re gay” as an sult on his Twch stream, though he did tch himself and apologize.

(Vghn Ridley/Getty Imag)Le Prokop, a Nashville Predators draft pick and Alberta native, announced Monday that he was "proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay. The six-foot-five fenceman was drafted the third round by the Nashville Predators the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and signed a pro ntract wh the anchise | Nashville Predators draft pick Le Prokop announc he is gay:NHL prospect Le Prokop out as gayLe Prokop, 19, a draft pick for the Nashville Predators, has bee the first player unr an NHL ntract to e out as Predators praised Prokop's urage on Monday and said they will "support him unequivolly the days, weeks, and years to e as he ntu to velop as a prospect.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NHL HISTORY

"Prokop's announcement was -ordated wh an article published on The Athletic's webse about his difficult a 'laggard' on homophobia sports, studi showWhile both gay male and female athlet have wrtled wh difficult cisns over the years, men's profsnal sports leagu have generally been void of active, open gay players. Several NFL players have revealed they were gay after their playg reers were over, while Michael Sam did so his draft year, playg the 2014 preason wh the Los Angel Rams before beg cut.

Billy Bean, who is gay, wrote a 2003 book about the challeng of tryg to navigate an MLB reer the 1980s and 1990s while keepg his sexualy a secret. Prospect Is the First Such Player to Announce He’s GayLe Prokop, who is unr ntract wh the Nashville Predators, said he was “no longer sred to hi who I am.

“The rise of social media, pecially Instagram, has given athlet a fom where they n live their liv openly and intify directly wh their followers, ” Outsports wrote last said he hoped his claratn would show others that gay players are wele hockey.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS PROSPECT LE PROKOP SAYS HE IS GAY, HOP LIVG 'THENTIC LIFE' HELPS NHL REER

Jon Lee-Olsen, goalkeeper of Rungsted Seier Capal Rungsted, Denmark, recently me out as gay a live terview wh the Danish news programme Go’ aften. The 27 year old be the first profsnal male ice hockey player to e out publicly as gay Denmark and may be the only openly gay ice hockey player petg profsnally the world, per TV 2. Unlike women’s pro hockey, which is home to a number of out players and wi LGBTQ acceptance wh the NWHL, Lee-Olsen’s g out reprents a meangful shift for men’s hockey and spirg urage gay boys and men aspirg to be the NHL one day.

"Bettman and NHL Players Associatn Executive Director Don Fehr also offered public support to Prokop on Monday followg his 's announcement on the heels of Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib g out as gay and beg the first active NFL player to be publicly out. NBA player Jason Colls me out towards the tail end of his reer 2013, and MLS player Robbie Rogers retired four years after he publicly me out as gay '13.

""I hope that sharg who I am I n help other people see that gay people are wele the hockey muny, as we work to make sure that hockey is tly for everyone, " Prokop wrote.

Prokop reflects on year sce g out as gay |

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LE PROKOP COM OUT AS GAY AND MAK NHL HISTORY

PROKOP REFLECTS ON YEAR SCE G OUT AS GAY

NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT AS GAY, A FIRST FOR THE LEAGUE