“It’s been a whirlwind” – Defenceman Luke Prokop shares experience since coming out gay in 2021

“It’s been a whirlwind” – Defenceman Luke Prokop shares experience since coming out gay in 2021

Luke Prokop shares his experience after going out as gay

 NHL defenceman Luke Prokop recalled the past year and its events till now after he came out as gay to the world. He felt that 2021 wasn’t just a year but a stretch of it as he became the first player in NHL to have a contract with a team after coming out as gay. 

Since his announcement on social media on the 19th of July 2019. He was traded from WHL to another team, won the league’s championship, and participated in the CHL Memorial Cup Tournament. That wasn’t all. Prokop started wearing rainbow-hued skates, received two humanitarian awards, and became an inspiration and role model to the LGBTQ squad worldwide.

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Luke Prokop fuels his goal with the inspiration he draws from others

Luke Prokop shares his experience after going out as gay
Luke Prokop shares his experience after going out as gay

Luke Prokop said, “It’s been a whirlwind”. “It seems like it was a long time ago, but it’s been nothing but a positive experience for me. It’s been really amazing the way my teammates have been with me, even opponents. Some would come up to me during warmup and congratulate me.” The 20-year-old further stated that the 2021-22 season was “by far the most fun year of hockey I’ve ever had.”

The freedom he felt after coming out contributed greatly to his professional career, as the Nashville Predators prospect made 35 points with 11 goals and 24 assists in 58 regular-season games at WHL. As per nhl.com, he said, “I think my confidence just kind of went through the roof after my coming out, and it’s been really great to see my performance on the ice grow in a positive direction and be a lot more consistent than it had been in the past.” 

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Founders of Seattle Pride Hockey Association Joey Gale and Steven Thompson noted, “Luke’s bravery to live his truth gives me hope”. On further probing, Prokop said that he draws his inspiration from those who he inspires, “I want to be the first openly gay player to play in the NHL”. “And I want to be that role model for kids that they can look up to, that they can go to an NHL rink, and they can watch me play and say, ‘I want to be like him when I’m older.'”

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