Alberta hockey community applauds after NHL prospect Luke Prokop comes out as gay

Calgary Hitmen defencemanand NHL prospect Luke Prokopis getting a round of applauseafter coming out as gay on Monday, but advocates are also calling for a changewithin hockey culture.

Prokopis the first active player under an NHL contract to ever come out.

The 19-year-oldhas spent the past four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League after growing up in Edmonton, and has since beendrafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Since posting his announcement to Twitter, Prokophasreceived a public thank you from the National Hockey League, among a variety of teams.

However the hockey community close to home is also thanking him for his actions and bravery.

Jeff Chynoweth, the general manager of the Calgary Hitmen, says heis proud of the young hockey player.

"It takes a lot of courage to come out at any time, let alone as a 19-year-old young man to do what he did today," he told The Homestretch on Monday.

"It doesn't surprise me the strength and courage that it took for him to make that announcement today, knowing Luke Prokoplike I do."

The general manger says the Hitmen are a close-knit group and that while today's announcement doesn't change anything for the team, they're excited for Luke as a person.

"I just think it's great that he showed the leadership to do this at a young age and I'm hoping that, you know, it'll become old news as we move along and more people will feel free to come out and be who they are."

Changinghockey culture

While both gay male and female athletes have wrestled with difficult decisions over the years, men's professional sports leagues have generally been void of active, open gay players.

The National Hockey Leagueand Major League Baseball hadyet to see active players who were able to be open about their orientation.

Brock McGillis,a former professionalhockey player and now advocate for the LGBTQcommunity says he helped coach Prokopas he prepared tocomeout.

"I wanted him to be prepared for the whirlwind some of the [messages] are going to be good, some are going to be badand some are going to be from people who are struggling,"he told CBC Calgary News at 6.

McGillisis also part of the LGBTQcommunity and came outfive years ago after he retired in 2010 which he says changed his life forever.

"I'm gratefulto the opportunities I was given just being a gay man in hockeyand the opportunities I have had to actively work to shift the culture and make it a safer space," he said.

The advocate says he's proud for Prokop for coming out but that there needs to be more of a pushto make sports safe for those in the queer community.

"There is homophobic language in every locker room. People can say it doesn't exist or it's a lie but I've talked to enough teamsin major and junior professionalhockey and players, I know it's there," he said.

In order for there to be a change in these spaces, McGilis says there needs to be a shift in hockey culture, whichstarts with humanizing the issue.

"They're not exposed to LGBTQ people enough of aregular basis even though they are probably in those rooms," he said

"The sport is presumed to be straight and predominatelymiddle to upper class white kids."

He adds that by having this conversation, it will celebrate differences, rather than reinforce conformity.

"Hockey players walk the same, dress the same, and they hang out with each other seven days a week from the age of sevenuntil they retire from playing," he said.

"We need to do a better job ofletting people being individuals."