“I’d Like to Think I’m a Realistic Person” – 21-Year-Old Luke Prokop Breaks the Ice, Rising as the First Openly Gay Hockey Player in the Spotlight

Luke Prokop is always known to be out of the box. Not only because he dared to come out openly as gay, but also for his perception of life. Prokop was just a nineteen-year-old boy when he made the big announcement. Now this takes a lot of courage. The easier way for anyone else would have been to continue with the flow in silence. However, for Prokop, who was picked up at no. 73 in the 2020 draft by the Nashville Predators, had some priorities. He went on to clarify that mental peace and the way he lives life are of utmost importance. Prokop stated that playing hockey was definitely an important part of his life. But he also knew that he could not play the game forever, even if he wanted to. 

Thus, the quality of life weighed more to him than hockey. Prokop wanted to live his life on his terms without any unwanted hindrances. However, his fears of having to quit playing hockey are now gone, fortunately. Prokop stated that he was fearful about the response that would come in after his announcement. Surprisingly, Prokop received more love than he had expected. 

Luke Prokop was overwhelmed with all the support he got

As expected, Prokop’s phone kept ringing continuously soon after his big announcement. However, Prokop did not expect so much love to be thrown his way. The most notable messages included two people- Elton John and Auston Matthews. The legendary rockstar welcomed him to the community with open arms and even offered his email for any support Prokop needed. However, this was not the message that mattered to Prokop. It was Matthews’ warm embrace that made Prokop feel that he belonged to the pack. 

Matthews was one of the biggest names in the NHL at that time. Getting a response from him was a huge thing for Prokop, especially when he feared for the worst. After the announcement, Prokop stated that he felt free from the constant pressure in his mind. He didn’t have to fake and could be himself all the time. The 21-year-old said, “I’d like to think I’m a realistic person… I know hockey is not going to be forever. As much as (when I came out) I would have loved to keep playing, I was OK with not playing any more if it didn’t work out — just being able to live my life the way I wanted, to be myself.” Prokop also hinted at the possibility of dating while being interviewed by The Athletic. However, the 21-year-old is getting all the spotlight recently due to a potential comeback to the NHL. 

Prokop making a comeback? 

Luke Prokop was contacted recently by the Milwaukee AHL affiliate of the Predators. This was a big step forward for the athlete. If things go right, Prokop would go on to become the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game. Now it remains to be seen if Prokop takes the ice this Friday for the Admirals. 

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Prokop also narrated his experiences with all the teams he practiced. He stated that, in most cases, everyone was quite supportive. However, there were also times when someone would use the G-word and Prokop would just ignore it. The story of Prokop is an inspiring one. It portrays how to set priorities in life and believe in them. We wish Luke Prokop a successful comeback and, most importantly, a peaceful and healthy life. 

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