LGBTQ people in ice hockey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Homosexuality in ice hockey has historically been a taboo subject, especially in men's leagues. Players have faced varying receptions and levels of acceptance from sports organizations, fans, and other players depending on their gender, their country of origin, and the league they play in.
.jpg)
Men playing ice hockey have historically faced high levels of homophobia in and out of the locker room. Brock McGillis stated that “the language, behaviors and attitudes that are pervasive in the culture” make coming out in men's ice hockey very difficult.[4] Several players who left hockey while closeted have attributed their departure to the homophobic nature of the sport.[4][5][6]
Likely the first active professional men's hockey player to come out in any league was Danish player Jon Lee-Olsen, who came out in 2019.[7] In 2021, Canadian Luke Prokop, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL entry draft, became the first active player signed to a National Hockey League contract to come out as gay.[1][2][3] Though Prokop has a contract with a National Hockey League (NHL) team, he plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). The NHL has no out players, past or present.
In women's hockey, many players are publicly out.[8]
Europe
In March 1995, Swedish hockey player Peter Karlsson was murdered for being gay. He was not publicly out.[9]
In October 2019, Danish player Jon Lee-Olsen came out, possibly making him the first active professional men's player to come out as gay.[7] Later that month, Janne Puhakka became the first professional Finnish player to come out as gay after retiring. He cited homophobia as one of the reasons he left ice hockey.[10]
In 2020, Zack Sullivan became the first professional ice hockey player in the UK to come out when he came out as bisexual. He stated:
"I’m not doing this in the hope of any publicity. I’ve always been a very private guy, but I realize that I have a unique opportunity to do some good. If I can be open and honest about my sexuality, then hopefully that will give other hockey players around the country the same confidence to do the same."[11]
Oceania
Homophobic language is pervasive in ice hockey in Oceania. A 2020 study asked ice hockey players in the Australian Ice Hockey League (AHL) (16 to 31 years old) and players on the Under 18 rugby union teams in South Australia (16 to 18 years old) to self-report how often homophobic language was used in their locker rooms in the last two weeks. According to the study, over 50% of the players self-reported they had used homophobic language at least once, and nearly 70% believed their teammates had done so. Though the players competed in Australia, they were born in various countries.[12]
Another 2020 study found that players in the AHL were 40% less likely to use homophobic language if their team hosted a Pride Night.[13] The study also found that players who supported the LGBTQ community and believed their team would be welcoming to a gay player were just as likely to use homophobic language as those who did not.[14]
Women's ice hockey in North America
History
Angela James played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League, precursor to the National Women's Hockey League and Canadian Women's Hockey League. She represented Canada women's national team internationally and was the team captain in the inaugural World Women's Championship in 1990.[15] She has been called "the Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey" and remains the only Black Canadian to captain a national team.[16][17]
James scored 34 points (22 goals, 12 assists)[18] in 20 games over four Women's World Championships, including 11 goals in five games in the 1990 IIHF Women's World Championship tournament, a record that still stands today.[19] James has won four world championship gold medals, two 3 Nations Cup gold medals, and one IIHF Pacific Rim Championship gold medal with Canada women's national team.[citation needed] In 2008, James, Cammi Granato (United States), and Geraldine Heaney (CAN) became the first women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.[19][20] In 2010, she was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, accomplishing several firsts: the first woman (along with Cammi Granato),[21] the first openly gay player, and the first Black woman—only the second Black player, seven years after Grant Fuhr.[22]
Four-time Olympic medalist Julie Chu is considered among the earliest known LGBT female professional hockey players. She began dating her Canadian rival, four-time Olympic gold medalist Caroline Ouellette, around 2006.[23][24]
Since then, many women playing ice hockey in the United States and Canada have come out publicly.
Current players and staff
In the 2025-26 season, 30 active players in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) were out as lesbian, bisexual, or queer.[8]
The league has several prominent players or staff who have married each other. Caroline Ouellette, former captain of Team Canada and current assistant coach of the Montréal Victoire of the PWHL, is married to Julie Chu, a former US women's hockey captain. They captained their respective teams against each other in the 2014 Winter Olympics.[25]
A married couple led the Canadian Olympic hockey team in the 2026 Winter Olympics.[26] Marie-Philip Poulin is the captain of the Montréal Victoire and the captain of the Canada women's national ice hockey team. Poulin married her Montréal Victoire and Team Canada teammate Laura Stacey on September 28, 2024. They have been in a relationship since 2017.[27][28]
Men's ice hockey in North America
History
20th Century and early 2000s
Hobey Baker was an American amateur ice hockey player who was active from 1906 to 1916. He never came out publicly. In 2024, ESPN released a podcast with research suggesting that he was gay.[29]
In 2006, a Sports Illustrated poll of roughly 1,400 professional athletes found that a majority would be willing to accept a gay teammate. NHL athletes seemed to be the most accepting of such teammates since 80% of NHL players polled approved of having a gay teammate.[30] However, there remained no openly gay players in the NHL.
Brendan Burke and You Can Play
In November 2009, Brendan Burke came out publicly as gay after the story was leaked to ESPN. At the time, he was the student manager at for the Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey team. He had played varsity ice hockey in high school but quit because he was worried that his teammates would discover that he was gay.[31] Upon coming out, his story made national headlines. His father was Brian Burke, who at the time was the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.[32] Brian was publicly accepting of his son, and they attended the 2009 Toronto Gay Pride Parade together.[33]
Brendan died in a car accident in February 2010.[34] On June 22, 2010, Brent Sopel brought the Chicago Blackhawks' recently-won Stanley Cup to the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade in honour of Burke,[35] stating to the press that honouring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade.[36] In November 2010, CBC aired a documentary titled The Legacy of Brendan Burke.[37]
On March 4, 2012, Brendan's brother Patrick launched You Can Play in honour of Brendan. The organization's mission is to end homophobia in sports. It has partnered with the NHL and NHLPA.[38]
In 2014, the University of Alberta Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services launched a Kickstarter to fund Pride Tape, a hockey tape printed in rainbow straps instead of the usual black or white. The Edmonton Oilers were the first team to use it on the ice.[39]
Brock McGillis came out on November 3, 2016, in a Yahoo! Sports Canada article after his retirement from semi-professional hockey.[40][41] He has spoken about the impact that Brendan Burke coming out had on him. The two spoke almost daily leading up to Brendan's death.[41][40]
In February 2017, one player from each NHL team became a You Can Play ambassador.[42]
Efforts to increase inclusion
In April 2016, Andrew Shaw called a referee a homophobic slur. The NHL suspended him for one game and fined him $5,000. Shaw later apologized.[43] In May 2017, for the same offense, Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 but not suspended. He also apologized.[42]
In September 2017, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), along with 17 other hockey organizations, released the league's Declarations of Principles.[42] The eighth principle reads:
All hockey programs should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. Simply put, hockey is for everyone.[42][44]
This became part of the NHL's long-running "Hockey Is For Everyone" campaign. Soon after, in December 2017, the NHL hired Kim Davis as Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs, with a particular impact on improving diversity within the league.[45][46][47]
2020s
On November 5, 2020, NHL agent Bayne Pettinger came out as gay. He was congratulated by prominent players including Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.[48]
In 2021, Canadian Luke Prokop, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL entry draft, became the first active player signed to a National Hockey League contract to come out as gay.[1][2][3] Prokop has not yet played in an NHL game. On November 17, 2023, Prokop became the first openly gay player in the American Hockey League's history, by making his first appearance in a game as a player for the Milwaukee Admirals.[49]
In 2022 or 2023, Seattle Kraken trainer Justin Rogers became the first known openly gay support staff in the NHL.[50]
The NHL released its first inclusion and diversity report in 2022. The self-reported data showed that among all NHL employees, including players and other staff, 93.14% were straight; 1.52% were bisexual; 1.12% were gay; 0.81% were lesbian; 0.40% selected "Other, including Queer/Asexual/Pansexual"; and 3% selected "Prefer not to answer."[51]
Pride Tape ban and repeal
Beginning in 2013, NHL teams introduced Pride Nights, where players wore Pride-themed jerseys and used Pride Tape on their sticks or gear.[52] On February 25, 2019, Kurtis Gabriel became the first NHL player to play a game while using Pride Tape[53] and continue to use it past Pride Night.[54]
In the 2022-23 season, six players refused to wear Pride jerseys or use Pride Tape. Initially, this was seen as a safety decision by Russian players who did not want to face prosecution for promoting homosexuality according to Russian anti-LGBTQ law. However, several non-Russian players also refused to wear the jerseys, some of whom claimed it was for religious reasons.[55]
In the summer of 2023, the NHL banned teams from using themed jerseys, including Pride jerseys on Pride Nights, during warmups or games, claiming it was a "distraction." In October, the NHL expanded the ban to include Pride Tape.[56] Many players spoke out publicly against the ban, including Connor McDavid.[57] In a social media post, Luke Prokop said, "Pride nights are an essential step towards fostering greater acceptance and understanding in hockey."[56] On October 21, 2023, Travis Dermott used Pride Tape on his stick in defiance of the ban during a game between the Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks.[58] Due to pressure from fans, players, and advocacy organizations, the NHL reversed course. The NHLPA announced on October 24, 2023, that the NHL had repealed the Pride Tape ban.[59]
The celebration of Pride Nights has been left up to individual teams, and many continue to hold them. The jersey ban remains in place.[6] Some teams auction Pride jerseys instead of wearing them on the ice.[60][61]
Heated Rivalry and impact
The television show Heated Rivalry was released in late 2025. It portrayed a relationship between fictional gay and bisexual professional men's ice hockey players. It had immediate impact on cultural interest in hockey and the acceptance of homosexuality in the sport.
The show inspired former hockey player Jesse Kortuem to come out in January 2026. The Minnesotan left hockey at 17 because he could not see how to reconcile his sexuality with his athletic career.[62][5]
The popularity of the show has resulted in increased ticket sales for some NHL teams, but some have expressed concern that acceptance of the fictional characters in the show is not reflected in acceptance of real players.[63] LGBTQ+ advocate and athlete Mark Tewksbury has stated that current NHL players have reached out to him for helping coming out, but that it always fell through. One player cancelled a press conference the night before.[64] Heated Rivalry lead actor Hudson Williams has stated that players in the NHL reached out to him after the show premiere. Author Rachel Reid had similar experiences.[65]
The success of Heated Rivalry allowed a documentary about Luke Prokop's coming out journey, The Hockey Player, to be released in late June 2026. The documentary was struggling to attract and retain funding until funders saw an opportunity in the sudden popularity of LGBTQ+ players in ice hockey.[66] At the time, he remained the only out professional men's ice hockey player in North America.[64]
Current players and staff
In 2026, Luke Prokop remains the only active player signed to a NHL contract who is openly out as gay.[1][2][3] Prokop has not yet played in an NHL game.
Bayne Pettinger remains the only openly gay NHL agent.[48]
Seattle Kraken head trainer Justin Rogers remains the only known openly gay support staff in the NHL.[50]
LGBTQ hockey organizations and leagues
Advocacy organizations
You Can Play began in 2012 and has partnered with the NHL and NHLPA.[38]
In January 2022, McGillis announced the launch of Alphabet Sports Collective, an organization to support LGBTQ+ people in hockey.[67]
LGBTQ+ leagues and teams
LGBTQ hockey leagues and teams have seen an increase in players since the release of Heated Rivalry.[6]
North America
- In 1985, the Los Angeles Blades became the first gay hockey team in the United States.[68]
- The New York City Gay Hockey Association was organized in 1999.[69]
- Coachella Valley Pride Hockey
- San Francisco Earthquakes
- Seattle Pride Hockey Association
- Team Trans
List of players
These are lists of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or pansexual players as well as those who identify as belonging to the broader queer community.
Men
| Name | Lifetime[70] | Country | Highest league | Sexual orientation[71] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Karlsson | b. 1966–1995 |  Sweden |
HockeyAllsvenskan | Gay[9] |
| Brendan Burke | 1988–2010 |  United States |
High school varsity | Gay[72] |
| Brock McGillis | b. 1983 |  Canada |
OHL | Gay[40] |
| Jon Lee-Olsen | 1992 |  Denmark |
Metal Ligaen[73] | Gay[7] |
| Janne Puhakka | 1995–2024 |  Finland |
QMJHL, Mestis | Gay[74] |
| Zach Sullivan | b. 1994 |  United Kingdom |
EIHL | Bisexual[11] |
| Luke Prokop | b. 2002 | Canada |
AHL | Gay[75] |
