'Comfortable being who I am': NHL prospect and Calgary Hitmen player comes out
Luke Prokop says he's no longer scared to hide who he is.
The 19-year-old became the first player under an NHL contract to come out as gay, making the public announcement Monday morning.
"I got to a place where I was... I wanted to be comfortable being who I am and that's going to be in front of my family, in front of my friends, in front of my teammates. Then, ultimately, in front of the world," Prokop told TSN.
"It's been really cool, the process of being able to come out publicly and be who I am," he said.
Prokop was born in Edmonton and spent most of the last four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.
He was drafted in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators in 2020 and signed with the organization the same year.
Luke Prokop, July 19, 2021
His brother, Josh, served as the Hitmen's captain and Luke was named an alternate last season. The team's general manager says Prokop's leadership has always been apparent.
"We're just very proud of him. He's an impressive young man," said Hitmen GM Jeff Chynoweth.
"I've known Luke for a number of years and, just imagine the weight that's been on his shoulders and to be free now, to be your own self. I think, just as an organization, we stand with him. And we're so proud of him," he said.
MONUMENTAL MOMENT
David Palumbo with the You Can Play Project calls Prokop's announcement a monumental one and said "it's a great day for sports."
"It's critically important, certainly for youth, looking what happens in the higher leagues and pro leagues in terms of can they be there themselves and being part of the LGBT+ community shouldn't have any barrier whatsoever," Palumbo said.
Prokop said he's relieved he can now put more of his focus onto hockey and his training, though he hopes to he can be an example that gay people are welcome in the hockey community.
"As much as I want to do this for myself and hockey, that's the kind of person I am — I want to help people be comfortable with who they are and if I can just impact one kid, one adult, anybody in the world, I've done my job and that's all I can ask for," Prokop said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.
Iran's judiciary confirms rapper Toomaj Salehi death sentence
Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on Thursday.