Gay ice hockey player Luke Prokop on being the sport’s representation and game-changing impact of Heated Rivalry

“I’m not known as Luke Prokop the hockey player, I’m Luke Prokop the gay hockey player.”

That sentiment is voiced by, you guessed it, Luke Prokop in The Hockey Player, a documentary charting the 24-year-old’s journey to-date in professional ice hockey. Prokop made history as the first openly gay player under contract with an NHL (National Hockey League) team when he came out in 2021. However, that’s just the start of his story.

The ‘gay ice hockey player’ is a label Prokop has carried for five years, with varying degrees of attachment. “It was associated with me everywhere I went, and I almost viewed it as a negative because I am a pretty private person, I didn’t want extra attention or my teammates to be awkward,” Prokop tells PinkNews of his early career as an out gay player. “But I’ve grown to be really proud, and I take it very seriously now.”

The Hockey Player follows Prokop over several years, stitching together candid interviews, game footage and musings about the current state of ice hockey. Setting the scene: Prokop was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL entry draft. The draft isn’t a straightforward ticket to the NHL, as the documentary shows. Prokop played in the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League), then the AHL (American Hockey League), all to chase his NHL dreams.

The film shines a light on the reality of being an active gay professional ice hockey player. But it’s also about a young man chasing ambition, a father and a son learning who each other really is (“My dad was like, ‘“’I cry so much in the film’”), and an open conversation about inclusivity in elite sport.

‘I’ve grown to be really proud’

It’s certainly prime time to tell this story. Following the success of Heated Rivalry, all eyes are on the ice. As the only active, openly gay male hockey player at his level, attention turned to Prokop. “I don’t view it as pressure anymore, it’s more of a responsibility,” he says of being a lightning rod for gay representation in ice hockey.

In fact, the responsibility of visibility was the driving force behind creating this documentary. “With the success of Heated Rivalry, there’s probably a lot of queer players that don’t feel comfortable coming out. If I can be visible for them, all that I’ve done with coming out and making this movie, it makes it all worthwhile,” Prokop says.

While he’s progressed on the ice, Prokop has also grown in confidence off the rink, learning when to use his voice and where his boundaries are. Today, the athlete is reflective on his coming-out experience. Soon after he shared he came out publicly, the NHL made some questionable decisions. This includes the controversial 2023 league-wide ban on Pride tape and jerseys, as well as any cause-based warm-up equipment. Today, Pride jerseys are still banned, but players can voluntarily use rainbow-colored stick tape. Prokop criticised the league’s decision at the time. Today, he remains aware and cautious of ruffling feathers with the organisation that runs the NHL.

‘I have to teeter the line of what I can say’

“I have to teeter the line of what I can say without harming myself and my career, but I also have to be able to speak up for my community and try to do that the best way I can,” Prokop explains. “This movie is that fine line of talking about things but not going completely overboard and bashing what has happened in the past.”

Talking about his experience being gay in the world of ice hockey has only mounted with the cultural phenomenon of Heated Rivalry. Though Prokop was initially hesitant about the hype. “I didn’t want the sex story to be associated with me, I don’t want people to perceive me that way,” Prokop says. But he found resonance in the show’s broader storytelling. “The hiding, having a different name in your phone, and being afraid to be out in public are things I really resonated with,” he shares. The storyline Prokop identified with the most was that of ice hockey star Scott (François Arnaud) and his barista boyfriend Kip (Robbie GK). 

‘I didn’t want the sex story to be associated with me’

Prokop also praised the show for “pushing hockey, whether hockey is ready for it or not.” He adds: “It brought a lot of new fans into the game and now it’s up to hockey, the players and teams to provide an environment that is open for everyone.” Heated Rivalry’s debut season featured Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender athlete in professional American hockey. So, there’s a precedent for real-life players starring in the show. Would Prokop be interested in making a cameo? “Apparently, in the books, there’s a big, tall ginger hockey player,” Prokop recalls with a grin. Fans of Rachel Reid’s book Tough Guy have indeed pointed out the similarities between Prokop (a tall, ginger and gay Canadian defenceman) and Tough Guy’s Ryan Price (a tall, ginger and gay Canadian defenceman). “It would be cool to do that, something different!” Prokop shares.

The Hockey Player also features a number of voices associated with the sport, including former ice hockey player and LGBTQ+ advocate Brock McGillis, American-Canadian ice hockey executive Brian Burke and Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney. However, the most pressing voices in the film are those of Prokop’s family, particularly his father.

In one interview, Prokop’s father questions the timing of his son’s coming out and the lack of opportunities that were then made available to him. What does Prokop make of that assessment? “Every time I had a conversation with the team, it was always very positive. But they also didn’t really get an option; I was already signed. If I had come out before the draft, maybe I would have gone to a different team,” Prokop says. 

‘I was put in some pretty unique situations’

“I look back on my time with the team that drafted me, and I was put in some pretty unique situations,” he continues. “I’d wonder why, and at the time, the main thing in my mind was: ‘Is it because I’m gay?’” Prokop says, reflecting now, he doesn’t think his sexuality was the reason. Yet, he was still happy to have a “fresh start” with a new organisation. Prokop signed with the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, for the 2025-26 season. It proved a great move for the 6’4” defenseman, who delivered his best AHL season performance to-date.

The Hockey Player is sure to reignite conversations about inclusivity in ice hockey, but Prokop also hopes viewers will invest in his journey and connect with his story. That is already happening. “I’ll play in random away arenas, and people will know who I am just by my last name,” Prokop says. While Prokop continues to showcase his talent on the ice, he’s already made a historical mark on the sport beyond the rink.

The Hockey Player, presented in partnership with OUTtv, is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video from Monday 29 June, and will be available on OUTflix later this year.