Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop says he is gay, hop livg 'thentic life' helps NHL reer - ESPN

gay player hockey

NEW YORK—In the wake of NBA center Jason Colls and U.S. soccer midfielr Robbie Rogers g out as homosexual, reports revealed Friday that the Natnal Hockey League has fact had hundreds of openly gay athlet throughout s history.

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LE PROKOP COM OUT AS GAY AND MAK NHL HISTORY

Prokop, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators last year, me out as gay wh a heartfelt statement to fans this week, an admissn he said he hoped would improve gay visibily wh the hockey muny. * gay player hockey *

Le Prokop, a prospect for the Nashville Predators, me out as gay on Monday. Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop has e out as gay, beg the first active player unr ntract to an NHL team to do so.

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

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

High-level female hockey players, such as Olympic gold medalist Meghan Duggan, have prevly e out as gay, acrdg to the league. Prokop's announcement ls than a month after Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay. Le Prokop said feels much longer than a year sce he beme the first player unr ntract to an NHL team to e out as gay.Sce he ma the announcement on social media July 19, 2021, Prokop was trad by one Wtern Hockey League team to another, won that league's champnship, played the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup tournament, wore rabow-hued skat, received two humanarian awards and beme an spiratn and role mol wh the LGBTQ+ muny worldwi, both si and outsi the sport."It's been a whirlwd," the 20-year-old Nashville Predators prospect said.

The play-by-play broadster for Uti, the New Jersey Devils' Amerin Hockey League affiliate, publicly me out as gay October 2021, fluenced by Prokop's cisn. "It's still disappotgly easy, though, to fd ments on social media like, 'Leave this out of hockey,' or 'Why n't we jt play sports?' And to those I say: LGBTQ+ kids need a hero too."Prokop said he draws spiratn om those he spir and as fuel to help him achieve his goal."I want to be the first openly gay player to play the NHL," he said.

Natnal Hockey League prospect Le Prokop me out as gay via a heartfelt statement to fans Monday, sayg he hoped would improve gay visibily wh the hockey muny. “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, ” he wrote.

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

Predators prospect Le Prokop has bee the first active player unr NHL ntract to say he is gay, tellg ESPN that he wanted to share this publicly to help him play his bt hockey. * gay player hockey *

Prokop hasn’t played an NHL game yet, but if he do, he’ll jo que a small club: There have only been two openly gay active players the four largt US sports leagu – Carl Nassib of the NFL’s Las Vegas Rairs, who me out last month, and Jason Colls, an NBA veteran who me out 2013 and retired the followg season.

Homophobic language is often ed among ach and players on youth sports teams. This n evolve to lastg homophobic attus or e gay players to hi their sexualy om their teammat, said Erik Denison, a behavral scientist and lead rearcher on the Sport Incln Project at Monash Universy Atralia, a June terview wh CNN. A slew of players me out, and wh each announcement, showed gay people belong on the ice.

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

* gay player hockey *

Gay former hockey player Brock McGillis spoke to Outsports multiple tim this year about the prevalence of homophobia locker rooms. 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.

REPORT: NHL ACTUALLY HAS HAD HUNDREDS OF OPENLY GAY PLAYERS FOR YEARS

When I go speak, I humanize beg a gay man and playg hockey at high levels. Thomas Aquas College Upstate New York, Fkle often heard other players e anti-gay slurs.

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Fkle told the goalie he was gay, and that language was unacceptable to e on the ice — or anywhere, ankly. There are more openly gay figur all around the world of men’s hockey. 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. Over the last , an creasg number of gay female Olympic hockey players have e out. He was playg an ele youth league, but years of homophobia and self-hatred drove him away om the sport.

And if someone asks if you are gay, jt look at them olly and say, ‘Yeah, so what? I want to live the way I want to, and I want to accept myself as a gay man.

PREDATORS PROSPECT LE PROKOP BE FIRST PLAYER ON ACTIVE NHL NTRACT TO E OUT AS GAY

'"Prokop began g out to some fay members and teammat this past year and told Predators management he was gay June. ""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.

Soccer midfielr Robbie Rogers g out as homosexual, reports revealed Friday that the Natnal Hockey League has fact had hundreds of openly gay athlet throughout s Week's Most Viral News: September 1, 2023OffEnglishSourc nfirmed that gay players have actually been credibly mon the NHL for s, and the league is only now beg creded wh layg the groundwork for the growg acceptance of homosexualy profsnal sports. “It’s obvly a watershed moment when a player om the NBA announc he’s gay, but most people fet about Montreal Canadiens wger Steve Shutt, who me out back 1972, ” said hockey historian Hank Crerand, notg that Shutt was the first of many gay NHL players to reveal their homosexualy.

“Even though gay athlet still rry a stigma today, ’s nothg pared to the ’70s. ”“The issue of gay athlet has now reached a major turng pot, and ’s only a matter of time before someone the NFL or MLB out, ” Crerand ntued.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY PLAYER HOCKEY

NHL Prospect Le Prokop Mak History As League's First Gay Player : NPR .

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