I released this article two years ago with my college and decided to bring it over to the website. I haven’t made any changes to it besides minor grammatical adjustments.

The NHL (National Hockey League) has a long history of being homophobic and not accepting of gay hockey players. Many of the gay hockey players were forced to stay in the closet out of fear of backlash from the league. They have passed anti-LGBTQ+ policies recently, like banning the wearing of Pride jerseys during the Pride Night they hosted. They did it out of fear for the Russian players because of Russia’s notorious stance against LGBTQ+ people and their rights. Many players also refused to wear them because of religious beliefs, so the committee decided to ban them altogether. The jerseys wouldn’t be worn during the actual games; they were only to be worn during the pre-game warmups. Another ban that occurred in October was the prohibition of the pride tape applied to hockey sticks. Some critics have called it the league’s own “Don’t Say Gay” policy. The ban on the Pride tape lasted two weeks. On October 24, 2023, the NHL reversed its decision to ban the tape. A member of the Arizona Coyotes, Travis Dermott, defied the ban by wrapping his stick in pride tape during a game he played. Other players had spoken out against the ban as well, including a Philadelphia Flyers forward, Scott Laughton. The NHL’s PR account had posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “After consultation with the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, Players will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.” They don’t know how Pride Nights in the NHL will continue with the new measures, but currently, there is no news about the one scheduled for October.  

There has only ever been one active player that’s come out, and he is on a team in a state that’s one of the worst anti-LGBTQ+ states in the US. Luke Prokop became the NHL’s first active player to come out as gay. Prokop, a right-handed defenseman, was a 2020 draft pick for the Nashville Predators. He had come out through an Instagram post, stating, “Living an authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams.” He had also included in that post that he had hopes that his coming out would show the world that gay people are welcome in the hockey community. He was inspired during the COVID-19 pandemic to finally come out, as at the time, there were no openly out and active hockey players. Sean Henry, the President and CEO of the Nashville Predators had said, “is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect,” in response to Prokop coming out publicly. He had also received a great deal of support from his family, friends, and fellow NHL players after he came out.  

On another lighter note, a retired NHL player is touring Canadian High Schools to speak to their hockey teams about acceptance. Brook McGillis is going on a tour called the “Culture Shift Tour.” The tour’s official website states that the tour aims to “’ humanize his experience of someone different than the norm and teach simple ways we can all create shifts so everyone can be themselves.’” McGillis came out in 2016, and he believes hockey players would actually be accepting of the community. He believes that “the language and behaviors — especially at younger ages — lead people to feel like they won’t be welcomed,” according to his interview with Outsports. He was the first openly gay semi-professional hockey player in Canada. Hockey leagues are not as welcoming as they should be, but they have room for improvement.