On Monday, Luke Prokop became the first hockey player under NHL contract to come out as gay publicly. He made the announcement through a post on social media, and has spoken to various media outlets to explain why he thought it was important to show his true self.
It can’t have been easy, and it’s certainly worth applauding. While we all look forward to the day that an announcement like this is no longer necessary or noteworthy, for now we celebrate the courage it took to say something.
Preds star Matt Duchene made sure to go the extra mile and share a message of his own. Duchene took to Instagram to congratulate and show support to Prokop, and to ensure that he has the support of the entire Preds locker room and organization.
Duchene was recently left exposed by the expansion draft protection list, so it’s possible the former 70-point scorer doesn’t open training camp with the Preds. Whether or not Duchene is suiting up for the Seattle Kraken or any other franchise, it doesn’t make this supportive any less significant.
Good on ya, Matt!
(H/T Matt Duchene)
