Luke Prokop Luke Prokop, 19, a draft choice of the NHL Nashville Predators, came out as gay today, Monday, July 19. He’s the first NHL player under contract to come out.
In his statement, Prokop said the past year and a half gave him time to no longer be scared or want to hide who he is. “Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone I am gay,” he wrote.
He credits his family, friends and agent saying he can now bring his whole self to the rink. “I may be new to the community,” he wrote, “but I am eager to learn about the strong and resilient people who came before me and paved the way so I could be more comfortable today.” He said it was just the beginning of his journey and he was eager to see where it took him “both in hockey and in life.”