Many gay and bi men have come out in high school, college and pro hockey, even as the NHL possesses a unique dearth of out athletes.
The hit gay hockey show “Heated Rivalry” has elevated interest in gay athletes, hockey and the NHL to a fevered pitch. Gay people across Canada and the United States are turning their attention to hockey like never before — some of them buying tickets to NHL games or watching on TV for the very first time.
While Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov may be two pro hockey players who fall in love on the show —not to mention another gay pro hockey player coming out — the reality of hockey is very different.
The NHL is the only men’s pro league to never have a current or former player come out publicly as gay. Every other major sports league in North America has had at least two.
Outsports found tons of LGBTQ people who have bought NHL tickets or watched games because of ‘Heated Rivalry.’ We dig into why.
The closest? Luke Prokop, a 2020 NHL Draft pick by the Nashville Predators who came out publicly while competing in their minor league.
On a strictly amateur level, there are various leagues that cater to gay athletes, including total newbies to the sport and even players who played in college. They include leagues in New York, Montreal, Toronto, Boston and more.
Yet across Canada, the United States and around the world, gay and bi hockey players have come out publicly in organized hockey — that is, high school, organized juniors, college and the pros. Here is a partial list.
The Manchester Storm player opened up publicly for the first time about his sexuality at the EIHL’s first pride weekend.
As we said, it’s important to note that, despite “Heated Rivalry” generating interest in the NHL — and driving NHL ticket sales and TV viewing — the NHL is the only major men’s pro sports league in North America to never have an active or retired player come out publicly.
Every other league — NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, CFL, WNBA, NWLS, PWHL — has had at least two.
Here are some of the pro and semi-pro athletes who have come out publicly either at lower levels of pro hockey or in other countries.
Jon Lee-Olsen was the very rare pro hockey player to come out in the men’s game while he was competing, doing so playing goalie for Rungsted Seier Capital.
Likely the first gay man to play semi-pro hockey in Canada to come out publicly, Brock McGillis has become one of the most important voices advocating for LGBTQ people in ice hockey. He has focused a lot of his work on changing language and the environment around men’s hockey. He told Outsports recently that he “lived” the story of “Heated Rivalry.”
Luke Prokop came out publicly while a prospect in the Nashville Predators minor league program, after being drafted by the team in 2020. He has played in the ECHL and AHL, all while being out as a gay player. Prokop currently plays for the Bakersfield Condors.
Janne Puhakka was the first former pro hockey player in Finland to come out publicly as gay, doing so in 2019, sharing his personal experiences with homophobia in the sport. He was tragically shot and lost his life in 2024.
Zach Sullivan became the first men’s pro ice hockey player in Great Britain to come out publicly when he shared his personal news in 2020, identifying as bisexual.
Adam Fyrer has been able to be his authentic self and also play a sport he loves by being honest as he gained self-confidence in his identity.
Voight Demeester was one of the very first gay ice hockey players Outsports wrote about, Demeester coming out publicly on the Penn State club men’s ice hockey team almost a decade ago.
Before he came out to teammates on the St. Thomas Aquinas College men’s hockey team, one of them called him a gay slur. Finkel punched the guy in the face. That led to his coming out and more understanding on the team of gay athletes.
Adam Fyrer played for two college hockey teams, first the team at the University of New Haven, and then the club team at Wentworth Institute of Technology. He has over the last five years spoken out for gay hockey players and athletes.
When a handful of NHL players refused to wear rainbow Pride jerseys in 2023, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told fans they needed to tolerate homophobia, Gates felt compelled to come out.
Gordie Mitchard played for the men’s ice hockey team at the University of Iowa for several years before turning to officiating. In 2024, he and his boyfriend each proposed marriage to one another.
Brock Weston knew it was time to come out to his hockey team at Marian when he kept hearing some of his teammates using gay slurs.
Anthony Arnoni felt alone in the closet in Illinois until a YouTube video helped change his life and lead to experiences he never would have imagined.
Anthony Arnoni came out as a gay hockey player at East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Ill. His fellow students voted him homecoming king.
Brendan Burke played goalie in high school hockey before becoming the manager of the men’s ice hockey team at Miami University (Ohio). He passed away not long after coming out publicly, which led his father, Brian Burke, and his brother, Patrick Burke, to push the NHL and hockey to further embrace gay people.
When Yanic Duplessis came out publicly as gay in 2020, he was moving into higher-level men’s ice hockey in Canada. He played in the ECHSHL and NBJHL.
Ben Fredell was playing in an elite youth league. Years of homophobia in the sport and self-hatred led him to quit to find happiness.
Jack Jablonski was paralyzed from the chest down when he took a hit in a high school hockey game in 2011. He went on to work for the Los Angeles Kings for almost a decade.
Brendan McFatridge won an award for being his true self as a changemaker in men’s ice hockey.
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Cyd Zeigler is the co-founder of the award-winning publication Outsports.com, the world’s leading news source for LGBTQ sports information. He’s written multiple books and appeared in countless media as an expert on the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bi and trans people in sports.
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