Le Prokop, NHL prospect, out as gay a first for the league | CNN

Contents:

• LE PROKOP COM OUT AS GAY AND MAK NHL HISTORY
• NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT AS GAY, A FIRST FOR THE LEAGUE
• PROKOP REFLECTS ON YEAR SCE G OUT AS GAY
• NASHVILLE PREDATORS PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NHL HISTORY
• FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: HOT HOCKEY PLAYERSGAY HOCKEY PLAYERS LIST: COLLEGE AND PRO ATHLET
• HOCKEY STAR LE PROKOP BE FIRST ACTIVE NHL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY
• REPORT: NHL ACTUALLY HAS HAD HUNDREDS OF OPENLY GAY PLAYERS FOR YEARS
• GAY MALE HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE G OUT DROV, AND CHANGG THE SPORT’S CULTURE
• FOR GAY HOCKEY PLAYER, LOCKER ROOM FELT LIKE A PRISON
• AN N.H.L. PROSPECT IS THE FIRST SUCH PLAYER TO ANNOUNCE HE’S GAY
• WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
• ‘IT’S NOT ENOUGH’: OPENLY GAY EX-HOCKEY PLAYER LLS ON THE SPORT TO EVOLVE
• NASHVILLE PREDATORS PROSPECT BE FIRST PLAYER UNR NHL CONTRACT TO COME OUT AS GAY
• NEW REARCH OFFERS SIGHTS TO WHAT KEEPS GAY HOCKEY PLAYERS OM G OUT

LE PROKOP COM OUT AS GAY AND MAK NHL HISTORY

Gran nouvelle pour la munté LGBT: Le Prokop, un hockeyr qui a signé un ntrat avec l Prédatrs Nashville, a annoncé lundi sur Twter qu'il t homosexuel, une première dans l'histoire la Ligue natnale hockey (LNH). «Aujourd'hui, je suis fier dire à tout le mon publiquement que je suis gay», pt-on lire dans une image tweetée par le jour 19 ans.

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

«J'père que partager qui je suis me permettra d'air d'tr gens à voir que l personn homosexuell sont l bienvenu dans la munté du hockey, et qu'on travaille pour que le hockey so vraiment pour tout le mon», poursu-il. Rappelons que le mois rnier, le jour s Rairs Las Vegas Carl Nassib a fa l manchett en venant le premier jour actif la NFL à dire publiquement qu'il t homosexuel.

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

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. 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.

PROKOP REFLECTS ON YEAR SCE G OUT AS GAY

“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.

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.

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

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. 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.

FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: HOT HOCKEY PLAYERSGAY HOCKEY PLAYERS LIST: COLLEGE AND PRO ATHLET

Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop announced on Monday he's gay, beg the first player unr an NHL ntract to publicly e out. " "I hope that sharg who I am I n help other people see that gay people are wele the hockey muny, " he add. "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.

Unlike other sports such as gby and Amerin football, the world of hockey still has to see a gay profsnal hockey player e out of the closet.

HOCKEY STAR LE PROKOP BE FIRST ACTIVE NHL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY

This, of urse, do not mean that there aren’t any gay hockey, we ma a list hockey players who are out of the closet. Granted they’re jt a handful but we won’t be surprised if more gay hockey players – spired by the pneers – will e out the Lee Olsen. 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.

We are wh you the hope that your story will enurage other gay hockey players to be themselv whether or outsi the game.

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.

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

”Peter Karlsson, who played fence for the Swedish hockey club VIK Västerås HK om was reported to be the victim of a gay hate crime. ”The 19-year-old right-hand fenseman beme the first active player for the Natnal Hockey League (NHL) to e out as gay a statement posted to his Instagram acunt. "“I hope that sharg who I am I n help other people see that gay people are wele the hockey muny, ” he wrote on social an terview wh ESPN, Prokop said the COVID-19 panmic spired his historic cisn to open up about his sexual orientatn.

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

No active NHL player has ever e out as gay while still playg the league, and jt one out athlete any of the four major men’s sports the U.

”Prokop’s g out is particularly signifint the wake of Natnal Football League (NFL) player Carl Nassib’s historic claratn June that he is a gay man. Nassib, a 28-year-old fensive end for the Las Vegas Rairs, is the first active NFL athlete to e out as gay. 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: July 28, 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. ”“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. ”Sce s origal ceptn 1917 through to the “Origal 6” era of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, the NHL has reportedly had a long history of gay players and was far ahead of s time batg prejudice and tolerance toward homosexualy wh locker rooms and stadiums.

FOR GAY HOCKEY PLAYER, LOCKER ROOM FELT LIKE A PRISON

“Thgs really started to take a turn for the better when Mike Ezne beme the first openly gay pta of an Olympic hockey team to w a gold medal, leadg the U. ”“That kiss really changed a lot of attus wh the hockey muny, ” Crerand Probert, who played 16 seasons for the Detro Red Wgs and Chigo Blackhawks, reportedly had a huge impact on the league as hockey’s “Homo Enforcer, ” timidatg the petn and pummelg opponents wh vic punch.

Crerand told reporters that Probert was the “most feared queer” the NHL and transformed the perceptn that a homosexual hockey player uldn’t be a gay goon. Crerand strsed, however, that no athlete was more fluential to the gay rights movement than Wayne Gretzky, wily regard as the greatt gay player NHL history. “Number 99 pletely changed the landspe for gay athlet the NHL, pecially mercially, and no one had a greater impact on young gay hockey players around the world.

Louis, Rick Nash, Ryan Miller, Patrik Elias, Stephen Gnta, Clarke MacArthur, Patrick Dwyer, Mike Rupp, Carey Price, Dt Brown, Zbynek Michalek, Brad Richards, Derek Dorsett, Brian Boyle, David Krejci, Shea Weber, Derick Brassard, Sergei Gonchar, Bran Holtby, Brandon Dubsky, Stephane Robidas, Col Greeng, Jam Reimer, Kev Poul, Brandon Pst, Travis Hamonic, Mart Brour, Joakim Anrsson, Vcent Levalier, Josh Green, Daniel Aledsson, Joe Thornton, Arron Asham, Alexanr Steen, Michael Del Zotto, Patrice Bergeron, Matt Duchene, Teddy Purcell, Michael Ryr, Tomas Fleischmann, Lars Eller, Daniel Wnik, Jyri Niemi, Mikhail Grigorenko, Evanr Kane, David Back, Jiri Tlty, Sam Gagner, David Dharnais, Cody Franson, Steve Ott, Dt Byfuglien, Casey Cizikas, Daniel Sed, Brian Campbell, Ilya Kovalch, Chris Neil, Patrick Sharp, Jaromir Jagr, Hal Gill, Mark Grdano, Marc-Andre Flry, Ray Whney, Mike Cammalleri, Lee Stempniak, Jam van Riemsdyk, Mart Hanzal, David Clarkson, Vny Prospal, Taylor Hall, Ryan Getzlaf, Andrew Ladd, Alexanr Sem, Max Pacretty, Brenn Dillon, Jonathan Toews, Jordan Eberle, Marian Hossa, Frans Nielsen, Alex Galcheny, Bobby Ryan, Manny Malhotra, Mike Fisher, Bryan Ltle, Nail Yakupov, Patrick Marle, Jonathan Huber, Tyler Ennis, Craig Anrson, Saku Koivu, Shane Doan, Ryan Whe, Blake Wheeler, Evgeni Nabokov, Mark Fraser, Jeff Carter, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Grabner, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec, John Tavar, Taylor Pyatt, Alex Burrows, Rene Bourque, Jason Chimera, Jofey Lupul, Corey Perry, Brad Stuart, Jt Williams, Matt Cullen, Marian Gaborik, Patrik Berglund, Brian Elltt, Josh Hardg, Daniel Cleary, Roberto Luongo, Nazem Kadri, Zach Parise, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Marc Staal, Jared Staal, Steven Stamkos, and Ryan Kler all g out as gay recent years.

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

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. “A lot of cred also has to go to Gary Bettman, still the only openly homosexual missner of a North Amerin sports league.

”“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.

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. 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.

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

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.

"I remember the first time someone lled me 'gay' elementary school wh a negative nnotatn, " wrote Benjam Frell a movg g-out say he penned for Outsports, which published today. "I remember felt like I was beg sgled out, that felt like I was beg lled 'gay' more than any of my peers at the time, so I started to harn. "It wasn't the hockey muny that troduced me to homophobia, but rather was the environment that helped rerce them that built and toughened my self-hatred, " wr Frell.

‘IT’S NOT ENOUGH’: OPENLY GAY EX-HOCKEY PLAYER LLS ON THE SPORT TO EVOLVE

"He adds that, although not all those who are volved sports are rampant homophob, the environment certaly normaliz and enurag this type of hatred. "Fortunately, though he was still stgglg, Frell says thgs did start to improve once he was California -- partially due to the area's generally ls-homophobic attus, even wh sports.

Benjam Frell was playg an ele youth league, but years of homophobia the sport and self-hatred led him to qu to fd happs. I remember felt like I was beg sgled out, that felt like I was beg lled “gay” more than any of my peers at the time, so I started to harn.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS PROSPECT BE FIRST PLAYER UNR NHL CONTRACT TO COME OUT AS GAY

I was so adamantly agast beg gay that I started to hurt myself the send I started to feel attractn for another boy, but that was way after elementary school and right around the time I started playg hockey. It wasn’t the hockey muny that troduced me to homophobia, but rather was the environment that helped rerce them that built and toughened my self-hatred. Or maybe bee I had heard all too much that wasn’t a surprise anymore to hear somethg so extreme, that I was so disnnected om homosexualy that I started to be OK wh the outlandish vol vlence towards .

NEW REARCH OFFERS SIGHTS TO WHAT KEEPS GAY HOCKEY PLAYERS OM G OUT

I thk there is a part of me hopg that some of my former teammat who were the most homophobic see this article, maybe read the name of the thor, see how long is and then move on. 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.