National Hockey League star Luke Prokop becomes the first active player to come out as gay

Virgin Radio

20 Jul 2021, 10:51

For many of us sweltering in the UK heatwave today, the thought of playing ice hockey probably sounds quite appealing. But for one player across the pond in Canada, Luke Prokop, today has extra significance – he’s become the first active NHL player to come out as gay…

Taking to Instagram yesterday to make the announcement, the Nashville Predators’ defenceman revealed his pride at making his sexuality public:

In the announcement, which follows in the footsteps of American Football player Carl Nassib, who came out last month, Luke also expressed his hope that sharing his sexuality would inspire others to do the same:

‘I hope that in sharing who I am I can help other people see that gay people are welcome in the hockey community, as we work to make sure that hockey truly is for everyone.’

During a chat with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the hockey star also told of how supportive his team had been and how this helped him:

‘For them to show the support they did in that moment, it felt like I could rule the world.’

Many of Luke’s team-mates and other hockey stars took to social media to express their support for the player:

The National Hockey League also tweeted their support for the star, as well as announcing a $100,000 dollar donation to LGBTQ+ organisations in Canada, selected with the help of Luke:

For more LGBTQ+ related content, check out Virgin Radio Pride, our brand-new pop-up station for the summer. You can listen to Virgin Radio Pride UK on DAB in London, online or via the Virgin Radio app.