Not one openly gay athlete has ever played in any NHL game. There is, however, one openly gay player signed to an NHL team: Luke Prokop, who came out as gay when he was signed by the Nashville Predators as a defenceman prospect on 19 July 2021. Since then, he has been playing for the AHL teams. This is all the information about the topic up to 2026. Now let us get into some context about who Luke Prokop is, and how this issue is discussed in the league.
The Facts at a Glance:
Everything documented, current for 2026.
| Openly gay players in NHL games | None. No publicly out player has appeared in an NHL regular season game |
|---|---|
| Openly gay player under NHL contract | Luke Prokop, the only one |
| When he came out | 19 July 2021, in a social media post |
| His team | Nashville Predators organisation |
| Draft | 73rd overall, third round, 2020 NHL Entry Draft |
| Position | Defenceman, listed at 6 ft 5 in |
| Born | 6 May 2002, Edmonton, Alberta |
| Age | 24 |
| Junior career | Calgary Hitmen and Seattle Thunderbirds, Western Hockey League |
| Professional level reached | American Hockey League, debuting with the Milwaukee Admirals |
| Before Prokop | No NHL player, active or retired, had publicly come out as gay |
| League response in 2021 | Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Don Fehr both issued supportive statements |
| Documentary | The Hockey Player, released 2026, follows Prokop’s career |
| Pride Night jerseys | Banned league-wide from June 2023 along with other cause-based warm-up equipment |
| Pride tape | Initially banned, then permitted. Players may voluntarily use rainbow stick tape |
| Advocacy organisation | The You Can Play Project, founded in 2012 |
| Comparable milestone | Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out, in June 2021, a month before Prokop |
Who Is Luke Prokop:
Luke Prokop was born on May 6, 2002, in Edmonton, Canada and was raised in a hockey family since both his dad and brother played hockey. Luke is a defenceman who stands at six feet five inches tall and played in Western Hockey League with the Calgary Hitmen and later with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Nashville Predators selected him as the 73rd pick in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in December of that year. In July of 2021 when Luke was 19 years old, he came out of the closet becoming the first openly gay player with an NHL contract.
He mentioned that he had informed the Predators about his sexuality before being drafted by them. The organization had clearly stated then that they would unconditionally stand behind him and the same goes for their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee where he made his professional debut.
The Reaction in 2021:
The reaction from the institutions of the sport was all positive. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman congratulated Prokop for being courageous enough to make an announcement and hoped that such announcements will be more frequent in the future, saying that only in such cases LGBTQ players, coaches and members of the staff can work at their best. Don Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association at that time, said that the hockey world will support him.
As for the reaction from Prokop’s personal side, the player says it is very positive as well. Speaking in 2023, he said that there were almost no negative comments from the internet and no negative reaction from the rink. Most memorable for Prokop were the questions of his teammates. The timing of this event coincided with another milestone in North American sports. Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player in NFL one month before, in June 2021.
Why No Active NHL Player Has Come Out:
This is what people really mean when they ask, and it merits a serious answer rather than speculation. Statistically, among roughly 700 players in the league at any one time, and thousands more who have participated in NHL play throughout history, it would be remarkable if not one of them was homosexual. What the historical record indicates is that not one of those has ever felt comfortable making his homosexuality public during his career in the league. These are two separate statements, with the latter being a fact.
The explanations generally given for this are the dressing room environment of the sport, the brief and often fragile tenure on an NHL team, the prospect of being an ongoing news story rather than a hockey player, and personal privacy. Prokop has even commented on the latter issue, explaining that having such a label attached to him made him a target no matter where he went, and that as a private person this new-found fame proved difficult to cope with. This does not imply anything about any specific individual, but merely describes the conditions as experienced by those within them.
The Pride Night Controversies:
Since 2023 until now, the notable changes that have been made in this area relate to Pride nights rather than to openly gay players. The topic is controversial and both arguments need to be put forward.
During the season of 2022-23, several players and even entire teams refused to wear special Pride themed warm-up jerseys. Among those players who decided to boycott the jerseys, there were some who expressed their religious views, claiming that wearing a Pride themed jersey contradicted their beliefs as Christians. There were also some players who used legislation of their home countries as an argument.
According to the opponents of this action, the decision to wear the jerseys costed nothing, while boycotting sent the message to the fans and players who are gay. In March 2023, Prokop gave his statement about this issue, noting that the choice of the players to refuse from wearing Pride themed jerseys was a move towards backwards. It was sad to see teams not completely supporting Pride Nights, where coverage focused on the players not participating, rather than on the meaning of the event.
In June 2023 the NHL banned any specialty warm-up jerseys in the league due to all causes and not only Pride, but did not prohibit using stick tape for the rainbow theme. This policy was introduced as removing players from making statements by their choice.
The You Can Play Project:
This advocacy group has been established due to a sad experience in the family of a famous figure in hockey. The person’s name is Brendan Burke who is the son of Brian Burke who is an executive in the NHL. Brendan came out in 2009 when he served as a student manager of the Miami University hockey team. Brendan died in a car accident at the age of 21 in February 2010. Brendan’s brother, Patrick Burke, established You Can Play Project in 2012.
Openly Gay Players in Other Hockey Leagues:
Prokop is the lone openly gay player who plays professional men’s hockey in that league, and that is one of the reasons why all the focus is on him. In the non-NHL system, there are openly gay players playing in different leagues, while there is a significantly larger proportion of openly LGBTQ players in women’s professional hockey. Comparison between the two should be done cautiously since their environments are quite different.
What This Page Does Not Do:
Names are given to individuals who have themselves made their status known publicly or have verified their status by themselves in reliable media reports. No guesses are made concerning the sexuality of players, no rumors are repeated, and no lists are compiled that way. This would be an invasion of privacy even if the guess turned out to be correct, which is why most of the material associated with the search term is not trustworthy.
Final Take:
As of 2026, there had not yet been an openly gay player compete in an NHL game. As of that point, Luke Prokop was the only player to have ever come out in the context of an NHL deal, and at the age of 24 he is continuing his effort to debut as the first. That he makes it will depend on whether he is good enough to be an NHL player, not on whether he breaks the mold or sets any kind of record.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are there any openly gay NHL players?
No player who is publicly out has appeared in an NHL regular season game. Luke Prokop, a Nashville Predators prospect, is the only player to have come out while under an NHL contract.
Who was the first openly gay NHL player?
Luke Prokop was the first player under an NHL contract to come out, on 19 July 2021. No player has yet come out and played in an NHL game.
Has any retired NHL player come out as gay?
Before Prokop’s announcement in 2021, no NHL player, active or retired, had publicly come out.
What team does Luke Prokop play for?
He is in the Nashville Predators organisation, drafted 73rd overall in 2020, and has played professionally in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals.
How old is Luke Prokop?
He was born on 6 May 2002, making him 24.
Why did the NHL ban Pride jerseys?
The league banned all specialty warm-up jerseys, including Pride designs, from June 2023, after individual players and teams declining to wear them became a recurring story. The ban covers cause-based themes generally rather than Pride alone. Players may voluntarily use rainbow stick tape.
What is the You Can Play Project?
An advocacy organisation for LGBTQ inclusion in sport, co-founded in 2012 by Patrick Burke after the death of his brother Brendan, who had come out publicly in 2009 while working with the Miami University hockey team.
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