Nashville Prospect Comes Out As Gay In NHL Milestone

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer - A Nashville Predators prospect has come out as gay.

Luke Prokop posted on Twitter he is no longer scared to hide who he is. The 19-year-old Canadian was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft last fall. He is set to attend his first NHL camp after playing junior hockey last season in the Western Hockey League.

Prokop says he hopes his example shows that gay people are welcome in the hockey community. No active NHL player has come out as gay. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib in June became the first active NFL player to come out.