1 00:00:00,457 --> 00:00:01,215 How'd you meet her? 2 00:00:01,939 --> 00:00:04,595 Oh, you know childhood friends that are hinge? One 3 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.BZ 4 00:00:04,595 --> 00:00:05,595 Of the two? 5 00:00:05,595 --> 00:00:06,560 Yeah, one of the two. Yeah, 6 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:08,215 - One of the two - Name? 7 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ 8 00:00:08,974 --> 00:00:09,939 Oh. 9 00:00:09,939 --> 00:00:10,802 Let's keep that off. 10 00:00:13,112 --> 00:00:15,077 Oh, Megan's said not allowed to. 11 00:00:16,457 --> 00:00:18,008 There's no talking about girls in here. I'm tired. 12 00:00:18,008 --> 00:00:20,422 Come on. It is bullshit. Oh no. We need to hear that stuff. 13 00:00:20,422 --> 00:00:22,457 That was bullshit. - I'm tired of hearing about it. 14 00:00:23,491 --> 00:00:25,146 Would you rather us talk about boys? 15 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,560 I can do that if you like? 16 00:00:28,767 --> 00:00:29,629 Yeah, please. 17 00:00:40,077 --> 00:00:42,112 I am not known as Luke Prokop, the hockey player. 18 00:00:42,112 --> 00:00:44,250 I'm known as Luke Prokop, the gay hockey player. 19 00:00:45,457 --> 00:00:47,422 It's always gonna follow me wherever I am. 20 00:00:49,939 --> 00:00:51,595 And things have kind of settled down a 21 00:00:51,595 --> 00:00:52,802 little bit, which is nice. 22 00:00:52,802 --> 00:00:55,664 Where I can actually, you know, really focus on my hockey 23 00:00:55,664 --> 00:00:57,905 and not so much the background noise. 24 00:01:10,698 --> 00:01:12,215 When you're growing up, 25 00:01:12,215 --> 00:01:15,319 that's when you become immersed in the culture of hockey. 26 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,802 That's where you learn the lingo. 27 00:01:17,802 --> 00:01:19,870 That's where you learn the style. 28 00:01:19,870 --> 00:01:22,146 That's where you learn what to say, what not to say. 29 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,353 That's where you learn how to act. I grew up in hockey. 30 00:01:28,353 --> 00:01:30,457 I'm another hockey guy, you know what I mean? 31 00:01:30,457 --> 00:01:33,319 There he is. 32 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,284 - Always on time, baby. - Never on time. 33 00:01:35,284 --> 00:01:36,733 Let's go. Woo! 34 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,043 Always on time. 35 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,595 {\an8}- Luke Prokob. - Luke Prokob. - Luke Prokob. 36 00:02:46,595 --> 00:02:48,905 {\an8}A historic monumental day 37 00:02:48,905 --> 00:02:52,595 {\an8}as the first player ever under contract has come 38 00:02:52,595 --> 00:02:53,939 out as gay. 39 00:02:53,939 --> 00:02:55,595 For the NHL, it's long overdue. 40 00:02:55,595 --> 00:02:57,457 Luke was getting himself into the unknown. 41 00:02:57,457 --> 00:02:59,457 Oh wow. He's really the first. 42 00:02:59,457 --> 00:03:01,664 Finally somebody has done it. 43 00:03:01,664 --> 00:03:03,146 I was high fiving people. 44 00:03:03,146 --> 00:03:05,319 Where are the current players? They are out there. 45 00:03:05,319 --> 00:03:08,457 Sometimes it takes one person to take a big step forward 46 00:03:08,457 --> 00:03:10,836 so that other people can take little steps forward. 47 00:03:16,491 --> 00:03:18,526 Scores. Luke Prokob! 48 00:03:23,457 --> 00:03:25,008 My games in a really good spot. 49 00:03:25,767 --> 00:03:27,250 Prokob, scores! 50 00:03:31,939 --> 00:03:35,457 My whole goal was just to help one kid out there 51 00:03:37,284 --> 00:03:39,526 and someone has to say, fuck it, 52 00:03:39,526 --> 00:03:41,353 I'm gonna be the first person to come out. 53 00:03:50,146 --> 00:03:51,802 I'm gonna show that it's okay to be 54 00:03:51,802 --> 00:03:53,284 who you are and do what you love. 55 00:04:14,146 --> 00:04:15,491 Nervous. 56 00:04:21,836 --> 00:04:26,388 I'm trying to think. 1, 2, 3, 4. Five. Five. 57 00:04:31,388 --> 00:04:33,905 So I came out, I was still playing for Calgary 58 00:04:33,905 --> 00:04:36,250 and then I was traded to Edmonton after that season. 59 00:04:36,250 --> 00:04:38,733 I tried to turn pro, I played a little bit in Norfolk, 60 00:04:38,733 --> 00:04:40,870 Virginia, and then I left Pro Hoc. 61 00:04:40,870 --> 00:04:43,077 He went back to Junior, played in Seattle. 62 00:04:43,077 --> 00:04:45,215 Then I officially turned pro the year after. 63 00:04:45,215 --> 00:04:49,008 Started in Milwaukee and then ended up in Atlanta. 64 00:04:54,077 --> 00:04:56,560 Right now we're in Georgia, 65 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,560 playing for the Atlantic Gladiators. 66 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,767 My team in the East Coast Hockey League. 67 00:05:02,767 --> 00:05:05,767 When I was going through the training camps, 68 00:05:05,767 --> 00:05:07,974 I thought I was gonna play in the American League level. 69 00:05:07,974 --> 00:05:12,974 I had a really good season previously. They sent me down. 70 00:05:13,526 --> 00:05:17,112 I couldn't understand why you wanna play in the NHL, 71 00:05:17,112 --> 00:05:18,767 but realistically you're two leagues 72 00:05:18,767 --> 00:05:20,112 below the NHL right now. 73 00:05:21,939 --> 00:05:23,767 You know, you sometimes you just need 74 00:05:23,767 --> 00:05:26,284 to be patient. Hey mom. 75 00:05:26,284 --> 00:05:27,802 - Hi. - Do you watch the game? 76 00:05:28,629 --> 00:05:29,629 - Yeah, - I do. Yeah. 77 00:05:29,629 --> 00:05:31,595 - Yeah. Tough one. - Yeah. 78 00:05:31,595 --> 00:05:33,146 I thought you guys might've had it in 79 00:05:33,146 --> 00:05:34,767 the bag right at the end though. 80 00:05:34,767 --> 00:05:36,319 Yeah. I don't know. 81 00:05:36,319 --> 00:05:39,595 I don't know why we just, we can't, like, there's some games 82 00:05:39,595 --> 00:05:41,629 where we play like good 83 00:05:41,629 --> 00:05:44,284 and we can't play like that for a whole game. 84 00:05:44,284 --> 00:05:46,629 It's like we can play it that for 10 minutes or 20 minutes, 85 00:05:46,629 --> 00:05:48,457 but we can put it all together for one. 86 00:05:51,664 --> 00:05:53,939 My family is heavily involved in hockey. 87 00:05:53,939 --> 00:05:56,077 My grandfather played, my dad played, 88 00:05:56,077 --> 00:05:58,491 my older brother started before me. 89 00:05:58,491 --> 00:06:01,181 So it was just kind of a family thing that all the, 90 00:06:01,181 --> 00:06:03,836 all the boys played hockey, lots 91 00:06:03,836 --> 00:06:05,664 of time spent on the outdoor rinks. 92 00:06:12,008 --> 00:06:14,319 At the younger stages it's more just about, you know, 93 00:06:14,319 --> 00:06:15,629 making sure you're getting, having fun 94 00:06:15,629 --> 00:06:17,008 and, and that's what I was doing. 95 00:06:17,008 --> 00:06:18,112 That's why I loved the game. 96 00:06:20,698 --> 00:06:23,629 I think as a kid that's like the most fun it ever is. 97 00:06:25,353 --> 00:06:29,112 Here we have Luke, the champion of pre novice. 98 00:06:30,215 --> 00:06:34,664 Oh, right at the goalies face. 99 00:06:34,664 --> 00:06:37,319 I think one of the best ways to describe Luke 100 00:06:37,319 --> 00:06:39,008 as a child was his nickname, 101 00:06:39,008 --> 00:06:40,870 which was the big friendly giant. 102 00:06:40,870 --> 00:06:45,388 I mean, he was six feet tall when he was in like grade five. 103 00:06:46,043 --> 00:06:47,664 And always just that like young boy 104 00:06:47,664 --> 00:06:49,181 who had never heard a fly. 105 00:06:49,181 --> 00:06:51,319 He was always so kind to everyone around him. 106 00:06:53,526 --> 00:06:58,181 I think my sister's the loud one. Luke is pretty quiet, 107 00:06:58,181 --> 00:07:02,215 Hes waving, say hello. He he. 108 00:07:02,215 --> 00:07:04,733 He was just a, I think like he is today. 109 00:07:04,733 --> 00:07:06,870 Like he's just very easygoing. 110 00:07:06,870 --> 00:07:09,629 {\an8}Nothing really seems to bother him that much 111 00:07:09,629 --> 00:07:12,422 {\an8}and he was probably the easiest of the three for sure. 112 00:07:15,595 --> 00:07:20,284 I think the dream of the NHL was, I mean, 113 00:07:20,284 --> 00:07:24,422 real early on watching hockey, growing up with my family, 114 00:07:24,422 --> 00:07:28,422 going to Oiler games, just seeing it on TV 115 00:07:28,422 --> 00:07:29,526 and wanting to be them. 116 00:07:31,422 --> 00:07:35,250 There was a lot of push and motivation from my dad 117 00:07:35,250 --> 00:07:36,870 to get me to where I am today. 118 00:07:38,491 --> 00:07:40,802 It started from when I was seven years old 119 00:07:40,802 --> 00:07:42,422 and I was getting pulled outta school early 120 00:07:42,422 --> 00:07:43,457 to go to practice. 121 00:07:44,767 --> 00:07:47,733 My dad would come pick me up at one o'clock every single 122 00:07:47,733 --> 00:07:51,284 Tuesday and take me to the local rink to work with 123 00:07:51,284 --> 00:07:52,870 a coach. At seven years old, 124 00:07:52,870 --> 00:07:54,422 like, not a lot of people are doing that. 125 00:07:56,422 --> 00:07:58,077 You know, if you're a hockey player, that's 126 00:07:58,077 --> 00:08:02,319 what you aspire to, to want to be in the NHL one day. 127 00:08:02,319 --> 00:08:03,457 He was just so natural. 128 00:08:03,457 --> 00:08:04,664 He was such a natural skater. 129 00:08:04,664 --> 00:08:07,939 Like it was sort of effortless for him. 130 00:08:07,939 --> 00:08:11,043 I think the one game he had 10 or 11 goals 131 00:08:11,043 --> 00:08:12,043 or something, right? 132 00:08:12,043 --> 00:08:13,319 Hed just skate through everybody and 133 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:14,319 - Yeah, - You know, that's when 134 00:08:14,319 --> 00:08:15,836 you could kind of sense that 135 00:08:15,836 --> 00:08:17,457 The parents wanted to see his birth certificate, something 136 00:08:17,457 --> 00:08:19,146 because they didn't believe how old he was. 137 00:08:19,146 --> 00:08:21,491 And yeah. was some comments like that. 138 00:08:21,491 --> 00:08:23,802 There was some comments like that. 139 00:08:25,422 --> 00:08:27,595 Luke! 140 00:08:35,284 --> 00:08:38,008 It just becomes part of your family lifestyle, right? 141 00:08:38,008 --> 00:08:41,836 And you're in Edmonton, like you mean you play hockey. 142 00:08:56,146 --> 00:08:58,802 The Edminton Oilers, the Stanley Cup 143 00:08:58,802 --> 00:09:01,870 Champions of 1985. 144 00:09:04,698 --> 00:09:05,526 Hockey players, 145 00:09:05,526 --> 00:09:07,560 we're a fraternal group. 146 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:10,284 The way we commit to each other physically on the ice, 147 00:09:10,284 --> 00:09:12,595 I think it really does create a special bond. 148 00:09:12,595 --> 00:09:14,802 Boy, look at the mob scene down on the ice surface. 149 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:17,905 Gretzky has got it up high. 150 00:09:17,905 --> 00:09:21,491 It's fools that are willing to lose teeth to win a game. 151 00:09:25,733 --> 00:09:28,733 I would describe male hockey culture as one 152 00:09:28,733 --> 00:09:30,664 {\an8}that's super competitive 153 00:09:30,664 --> 00:09:33,043 {\an8}and one that glorifies 154 00:09:33,043 --> 00:09:37,560 {\an8}that prototypic, dominant brutality 155 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:39,388 and celebrates that. 156 00:09:54,905 --> 00:09:56,560 Hockey's the last professional sport 157 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:58,319 with sanctioned fighting. 158 00:10:01,043 --> 00:10:04,146 The language is terrible. I mean, I'd use the language 159 00:10:06,250 --> 00:10:07,560 You cocksucker. 160 00:10:08,146 --> 00:10:09,215 Come on! 161 00:10:09,457 --> 00:10:12,457 I was growing up, I definitely heard homophobic language. 162 00:10:12,457 --> 00:10:15,870 {\an8}I used homophobic language, you wanted to fit in. 163 00:10:19,767 --> 00:10:22,181 {\an8}It's still this like, 164 00:10:22,181 --> 00:10:24,560 super masculine, 165 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:29,008 pretend like you're big and tough culture in hockey, 166 00:10:29,008 --> 00:10:33,526 and it takes really strong people to stand up to that, 167 00:10:33,526 --> 00:10:35,491 because it's just so acceptable. 168 00:10:55,215 --> 00:10:58,077 It is just not who I am. I don't love confrontation. 169 00:10:58,077 --> 00:11:01,319 I don't, I don't love the idea of like harming someone, 170 00:11:03,457 --> 00:11:05,767 but in hockey, in my role, I'm gonna have to be able 171 00:11:05,767 --> 00:11:07,215 to tap into that and find it. 172 00:11:11,146 --> 00:11:14,319 I think the main message that I've gotten working at such 173 00:11:14,319 --> 00:11:17,905 varying levels of competitive men's ice hockey is 174 00:11:17,905 --> 00:11:20,733 that there is a very narrow definition 175 00:11:20,733 --> 00:11:23,250 of the socially acceptable competitive 176 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:24,870 men's ice hockey player. 177 00:11:24,870 --> 00:11:28,181 And I think that definition becomes even more narrow 178 00:11:28,181 --> 00:11:30,733 as you reach the NHL, for example. 179 00:11:31,939 --> 00:11:35,526 There's a fear of drawing attention to yourself. 180 00:11:35,526 --> 00:11:37,457 If there's four things you can talk about in men's team, 181 00:11:37,457 --> 00:11:39,319 hockey locker room: women, 182 00:11:39,319 --> 00:11:40,767 video games, partying and sports. 183 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:43,457 I asked a player one time 184 00:11:43,457 --> 00:11:46,939 what would happen if you brought books into the locker room. 185 00:11:46,939 --> 00:11:49,215 He's like, oh God, I would've been ripped apart. 186 00:11:50,939 --> 00:11:53,560 And this stuff impacts the straight kids too. 187 00:11:54,629 --> 00:11:57,457 If you can't conform to the culture, you might 188 00:11:57,457 --> 00:11:58,905 as well be the fag. 189 00:11:58,905 --> 00:12:00,560 'cause you're gonna be treated like the fag. 190 00:12:07,077 --> 00:12:08,767 It's always number six. 191 00:12:08,767 --> 00:12:10,802 'cause Shea Weber was my favourite player growing up. 192 00:12:14,353 --> 00:12:17,319 14 was the, the age that I knew 193 00:12:18,388 --> 00:12:20,629 I was a little different than, than all my teammates 194 00:12:23,319 --> 00:12:25,664 In my own mind, 195 00:12:25,664 --> 00:12:29,008 like, it was like, yeah, I know something's different, 196 00:12:29,008 --> 00:12:30,664 but I'm gonna like just hold it back. 197 00:12:32,215 --> 00:12:35,319 I'm gonna not think about it and not talk about it. 198 00:12:36,664 --> 00:12:40,353 It was like you're living two different personalities. 199 00:12:40,353 --> 00:12:41,250 You wanna play hockey, you wanna be 200 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:42,526 the best player you can be. 201 00:12:42,526 --> 00:12:45,181 On the other hand, you wanna be yourself. At that age, 202 00:12:45,181 --> 00:12:48,112 {\an8}felt like it couldn't, couldn't be both. 203 00:12:50,836 --> 00:12:52,319 {\an8}I was probably too young 204 00:12:52,319 --> 00:12:53,664 {\an8}to even really think about if it would have an 205 00:12:53,664 --> 00:12:55,112 impact on my hockey career. 206 00:12:57,698 --> 00:12:58,974 Obviously I had to hide it. 207 00:13:02,767 --> 00:13:05,422 When you go to the rink, especially as kids, as soon 208 00:13:05,422 --> 00:13:07,250 as you get there, you get to the locker room 209 00:13:07,250 --> 00:13:10,422 with all your friends, all your problems disappear. 210 00:13:11,767 --> 00:13:14,112 They're in the moment, they're hanging out for an hour 211 00:13:14,112 --> 00:13:15,905 and then they get on the ice 212 00:13:15,905 --> 00:13:17,802 and everything disappears on the ice. 213 00:13:21,939 --> 00:13:24,457 Yet for those queer kids, 214 00:13:24,457 --> 00:13:27,112 now somebody's using a slur between whistles 215 00:13:27,112 --> 00:13:28,595 or you're in a practice 216 00:13:28,595 --> 00:13:30,457 and your coach makes you do something you don't want 217 00:13:30,457 --> 00:13:31,870 to do, like skate. 218 00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:33,733 And then everyone's like, oh, this is so gay. 219 00:13:36,077 --> 00:13:40,836 A safe space for others is now an oppressive space. 220 00:13:42,422 --> 00:13:45,939 We grow up in a culture where saying that stuff is okay 221 00:13:46,664 --> 00:13:50,629 and it's not frowned upon, it's not looked at, it's not 222 00:13:50,629 --> 00:13:52,353 addressed at all. 223 00:13:53,870 --> 00:13:56,422 You didn't want to bring too much attention to it 224 00:13:56,422 --> 00:13:58,388 because then that puts the attention on yourself. 225 00:14:01,698 --> 00:14:05,422 'cause when you're 15, like standing up for stuff is cool. 226 00:14:05,422 --> 00:14:06,974 Fitting in is cool 227 00:14:06,974 --> 00:14:11,629 and that's what, you know, I kind of had to do to survive, 228 00:14:11,629 --> 00:14:12,526 I guess. 229 00:14:18,284 --> 00:14:23,284 My goal was to play in the NHL, not to be myself. 230 00:14:23,284 --> 00:14:25,664 It was to hide myself and make the NHL and 231 00:14:25,664 --> 00:14:27,836 however I could get there, I was gonna do it. 232 00:14:34,802 --> 00:14:36,319 All kids, when they start hockey, 233 00:14:36,319 --> 00:14:38,457 everybody thinks they're gonna go to the NHL, 234 00:14:38,457 --> 00:14:42,491 {\an8}but the reality of going to the NHL is a lot more difficult. 235 00:14:43,664 --> 00:14:46,146 In Luke's case, the expectations have been very 236 00:14:46,146 --> 00:14:47,422 realistic for him. 237 00:14:50,319 --> 00:14:53,802 Prokob, score! 238 00:14:53,802 --> 00:14:57,560 He has the skills, he's got the size, 239 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:59,974 he's got the agility. For someone 240 00:14:59,974 --> 00:15:02,698 six foot five, he moves incredibly well. 241 00:15:03,836 --> 00:15:05,939 What a gorgeous shot from Luke 242 00:15:05,939 --> 00:15:08,870 Prokob in from the lines, top shelf... 243 00:15:11,250 --> 00:15:14,043 Prokob shooting it scores! 244 00:15:15,767 --> 00:15:19,698 {\an8}He's got a great shot, a good knack of being eyes up, 245 00:15:19,698 --> 00:15:21,629 {\an8}looking up ice and making plays. 246 00:15:21,629 --> 00:15:23,353 He's, he's really big. He's a right-handed shot, 247 00:15:23,353 --> 00:15:26,043 which is hard to come by these days. 248 00:15:26,043 --> 00:15:28,353 Goes to the blue line. Luke Prokob, a shot. 249 00:15:30,043 --> 00:15:32,181 And then Prokob scores. 250 00:15:32,181 --> 00:15:35,388 Luke Prokob has made this a one goal game, 251 00:15:35,388 --> 00:15:37,043 and he leads and Edmonton celebrate. 252 00:15:37,043 --> 00:15:40,526 He has everything he needs to move to the next level. 253 00:15:41,043 --> 00:15:44,733 The Western Hockey League Champions 254 00:15:45,008 --> 00:15:49,526 Seattle will hoist the HNL cup. 255 00:16:04,146 --> 00:16:06,353 My goal would be, 256 00:16:06,353 --> 00:16:08,595 it's not even news if a player comes out anymore, 257 00:16:08,595 --> 00:16:12,836 that's the day I yearn for and probably won't see. 258 00:16:12,836 --> 00:16:14,353 So we're getting there. It will get, 259 00:16:14,353 --> 00:16:16,491 they'll get more comfortable with it and we'll get there. 260 00:16:16,491 --> 00:16:17,836 I look at the progress we've made 261 00:16:17,836 --> 00:16:19,457 since I got involved in this cause, 262 00:16:19,457 --> 00:16:21,008 in that short time, 263 00:16:21,008 --> 00:16:23,664 we've made massive progress. Massive. 264 00:16:23,664 --> 00:16:24,974 Brian Burke, the general manager 265 00:16:24,974 --> 00:16:26,353 of the Toronto Maple Leafs is with us. 266 00:16:26,353 --> 00:16:29,353 Also With us tonight is Brendan Burke, Brian's son 267 00:16:29,353 --> 00:16:31,077 When I was watching TV, 268 00:16:31,077 --> 00:16:34,526 and there's this young guy being interviewed, Brendan Burke 269 00:16:34,526 --> 00:16:36,112 and I wasn't really paying attention, 270 00:16:36,112 --> 00:16:37,664 but then he said something that caught my attention. 271 00:16:37,664 --> 00:16:38,905 He said, and I'm gay. 272 00:16:40,250 --> 00:16:42,629 Two years ago, Brendan went to his family 273 00:16:42,629 --> 00:16:45,939 and told him for the first time that he is gay. 274 00:16:45,939 --> 00:16:48,008 And my head whipped around, stare at the TV in shock 275 00:16:48,008 --> 00:16:50,284 and never heard somebody say they were gay in men's hockey 276 00:16:50,284 --> 00:16:52,319 before, unless there was one player calling another player 277 00:16:52,319 --> 00:16:54,250 gay on the ice or in the locker room. 278 00:16:54,250 --> 00:16:56,629 And I said, wow. His dad's an NHL exec. 279 00:16:56,629 --> 00:16:59,422 I think it's important that my story is told to people, 280 00:16:59,422 --> 00:17:01,698 because there are a lot of gay athletes out there 281 00:17:01,698 --> 00:17:04,698 and gay people working in pro sports that deserve to know 282 00:17:04,698 --> 00:17:07,043 that there are safe environments where people are supportive 283 00:17:07,043 --> 00:17:09,043 of you regardless of your sexual orientation. 284 00:17:09,043 --> 00:17:11,008 Then Big Burke gets up there and pounds the table 285 00:17:11,008 --> 00:17:13,491 and like Burke does in his brash fashion 286 00:17:13,491 --> 00:17:15,664 and says, you know, we would be accepting of, 287 00:17:15,664 --> 00:17:17,353 of a gay, you know, person. 288 00:17:17,353 --> 00:17:18,870 Well, I said, it won't change anything Brendan. 289 00:17:18,870 --> 00:17:21,526 You know, it doesn't change our view of we love you, 290 00:17:21,526 --> 00:17:23,457 we're proud of you and it doesn't change anything in 291 00:17:23,457 --> 00:17:24,836 my mind and never will. 292 00:17:25,353 --> 00:17:26,629 They were ahead of their times. 293 00:17:28,353 --> 00:17:30,629 That was really an epiphany for me. 294 00:17:30,629 --> 00:17:32,181 He's obviously courageous. 295 00:17:32,181 --> 00:17:34,664 I mean, it, it takes a lot of jam to take this step. 296 00:17:34,664 --> 00:17:38,077 He's obviously a fearless kid, but he is a real bright kid 297 00:17:38,077 --> 00:17:39,733 and a sweet kid and I'm very proud of him. 298 00:17:39,733 --> 00:17:41,664 Courage and character. A couple of things you always look 299 00:17:41,664 --> 00:17:44,146 for in your player as you have it in your son Brendan, 300 00:17:44,146 --> 00:17:46,008 we really appreciate you sharing your story with us tonight. 301 00:17:46,698 --> 00:17:47,664 Thank you James. 302 00:18:02,146 --> 00:18:06,146 Well, I think what happens is you have that, that agent 303 00:18:06,146 --> 00:18:08,043 for change, you have that lightning routes. 304 00:18:08,043 --> 00:18:11,629 There's the GM of the Toronto May Police, his son is gay. 305 00:18:11,629 --> 00:18:13,595 So I think that one event 306 00:18:13,595 --> 00:18:16,698 with Brendan really galvanised a lot of change. 307 00:18:18,215 --> 00:18:20,595 I remember Brent Sopel brought the Stanley Cup 308 00:18:20,595 --> 00:18:23,422 and the Pride Parade in Chicago. God bless him. 309 00:18:23,422 --> 00:18:26,353 Let's hear you cheer for the cup. Ah, 310 00:18:28,491 --> 00:18:30,146 We're now joined by hockey players from 311 00:18:30,146 --> 00:18:32,146 around the world supporting my son Brennan's 312 00:18:32,146 --> 00:18:34,457 simple message. If you can play, 313 00:18:34,457 --> 00:18:35,629 {\an8}You can play. 314 00:18:35,629 --> 00:18:37,491 {\an8}- If you can play. - You can play. 315 00:18:37,491 --> 00:18:40,146 If you can play. - You can play. 316 00:18:40,146 --> 00:18:43,629 That first window of time when the teams really got 317 00:18:43,629 --> 00:18:47,457 behind it, it was, it was amazing. 318 00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:52,250 If you can play, you can play. That's the mandate 319 00:18:52,250 --> 00:18:55,043 {\an8}the Edmonton Oilers are adopting this Valentine's Day 320 00:18:55,043 --> 00:18:56,595 {\an8}during you can play night. 321 00:18:56,595 --> 00:18:59,939 Part of the NH L's hockey is for everyone month. 322 00:18:59,939 --> 00:19:03,181 This Rainbow Pride tape was used during their warmup. 323 00:19:03,181 --> 00:19:05,491 It was created right here in Edmonton 324 00:19:05,491 --> 00:19:08,008 and was recently adopted by the league. 325 00:19:08,008 --> 00:19:10,284 We've made so much progress. 326 00:19:10,284 --> 00:19:13,974 Every time a player comes out, an athlete comes out, 327 00:19:13,974 --> 00:19:16,319 a family comes out, supports us. 328 00:19:16,319 --> 00:19:18,974 We take those as major victories 329 00:19:18,974 --> 00:19:21,284 and then I think just, we need some more firsts. 330 00:19:21,284 --> 00:19:22,698 We need some more pioneers. 331 00:19:22,698 --> 00:19:24,698 And being a pioneer can be a lonely job. 332 00:19:36,284 --> 00:19:37,939 You know, when you, when you're growing up, 333 00:19:37,939 --> 00:19:39,802 you don't hear about much about this league. 334 00:19:42,008 --> 00:19:45,008 It's kind of frowned upon back home. 335 00:19:45,008 --> 00:19:46,974 If you play in the, in the coast 336 00:19:52,491 --> 00:19:55,181 Growing up it was, you know, where careers go to die 337 00:19:55,181 --> 00:19:58,767 and this and that and just not a place you wanna play, 338 00:19:58,767 --> 00:19:59,629 basically. 339 00:20:04,284 --> 00:20:07,319 I think two weeks ago we lost six nothing. 340 00:20:07,319 --> 00:20:10,319 And I was, I was minus five. 341 00:20:10,319 --> 00:20:14,181 I didn't play well and I just broke down after the game 342 00:20:14,181 --> 00:20:16,181 because I was like, I didn't know. 343 00:20:16,181 --> 00:20:18,974 I didn't, I didn't know what was happening to me. 344 00:20:20,526 --> 00:20:22,319 It's been three years since I got drafted. 345 00:20:22,319 --> 00:20:23,491 There are guys younger than me 346 00:20:23,491 --> 00:20:25,112 that are playing in the NHL right now. 347 00:20:25,112 --> 00:20:29,043 You know, if I don't figure that out, I'm gonna get stuck 348 00:20:29,043 --> 00:20:30,595 behind and not be able to make it. 349 00:20:35,767 --> 00:20:38,457 No, cannot, you cannot do that. 350 00:20:40,353 --> 00:20:41,491 {\an8}Dude, you, you have to tell 'em, man, 351 00:20:41,491 --> 00:20:42,491 Where did you get those? 352 00:20:42,491 --> 00:20:44,284 Let's go. 353 00:20:44,284 --> 00:20:45,802 There's a lot of guys. 354 00:20:45,802 --> 00:20:48,664 {\an8}Like I was, I've been on a couple teams, like 355 00:20:48,664 --> 00:20:51,008 {\an8}in this league already, it's not a good brag, 356 00:20:51,008 --> 00:20:53,802 {\an8}but in the coast, like, you know, 357 00:20:53,802 --> 00:20:55,112 {\an8}everyone's kind of in the same boat. 358 00:20:55,112 --> 00:20:56,319 Like no one really wants to be here. 359 00:20:56,319 --> 00:20:58,181 You know, we haven't been doing well, 360 00:20:58,181 --> 00:20:59,319 like we've been losing a bunch. 361 00:20:59,319 --> 00:21:00,836 The only reason that we keep going 362 00:21:00,836 --> 00:21:02,181 to the rink is because the guys are good. 363 00:21:02,181 --> 00:21:03,767 - Yeah. The guys. - And we enjoy being 364 00:21:03,767 --> 00:21:04,870 around each other. - Yeah. 365 00:21:04,870 --> 00:21:06,043 Pick up that. 366 00:21:06,043 --> 00:21:08,250 No, you did pick up I saw you. - No I didn't. No I didn't. 367 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:11,491 Wow. Check the film. 368 00:21:11,491 --> 00:21:13,698 We actually can check the film. 369 00:21:13,698 --> 00:21:14,836 - I didnt know that one. - Out. 370 00:21:16,388 --> 00:21:17,422 Fuck off. 371 00:21:19,595 --> 00:21:21,526 Im looking toward the future 372 00:21:21,526 --> 00:21:23,595 and his name is Luke Prokob. 373 00:21:23,595 --> 00:21:26,595 He was the hitman's first round seventh overall draught pick 374 00:21:26,595 --> 00:21:28,905 in last week's WHL Bannon draught. 375 00:21:29,939 --> 00:21:34,181 When I was 16, 17, I was in Calgary playing junior hockey. 376 00:21:35,595 --> 00:21:39,043 That's kind of when started having relationships and, 377 00:21:39,043 --> 00:21:40,388 and things like that 378 00:21:40,388 --> 00:21:42,698 and you know, how do you want to introduce someone 379 00:21:42,698 --> 00:21:44,250 to your family when you're not out to them yet. 380 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,905 I couldn't continue on like that, you know, I couldn't 381 00:21:49,905 --> 00:21:52,733 continue to, you know, wear a hoodie and, 382 00:21:52,733 --> 00:21:55,698 hide myself from, from the rest of life. 383 00:21:59,595 --> 00:22:01,112 It was hard for, 384 00:22:02,284 --> 00:22:04,422 a lot of, there's a lot of long nights. 385 00:22:22,319 --> 00:22:23,664 I was in my room 386 00:22:23,664 --> 00:22:24,974 and I remember I just got a text saying like, 387 00:22:24,974 --> 00:22:25,974 can I come up and talk to you? 388 00:22:25,974 --> 00:22:26,939 And I was like, yeah, of course. 389 00:22:32,077 --> 00:22:34,457 I went up and I sat down, I looked at her 390 00:22:34,457 --> 00:22:37,767 and, there were just like, 391 00:22:37,767 --> 00:22:38,939 nothing was coming outta my mouth. 392 00:22:39,043 --> 00:22:42,664 It was just tears. It was, it was crying, crying, crying. 393 00:22:43,802 --> 00:22:45,870 I just, I just finally, you know, came out 394 00:22:45,870 --> 00:22:48,146 and I said it, you know, like I was Atlanta, like I'm gay. 395 00:22:49,905 --> 00:22:54,560 I probably in less than three seconds I was just like 396 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,457 wrapped in her arms, 397 00:22:59,491 --> 00:23:00,974 and we sat there and we had a good cry 398 00:23:00,974 --> 00:23:05,664 and you know, she instilled in my brain that 399 00:23:07,146 --> 00:23:09,870 it doesn't, it didn't matter, you know, that I was gay. 400 00:23:09,870 --> 00:23:14,043 She loved me no matter what. I was still her brother. 401 00:23:14,043 --> 00:23:16,802 and that nothing would ever change. 402 00:23:21,319 --> 00:23:22,595 It's something I'll never forget. 403 00:23:22,595 --> 00:23:25,526 Like, just to know that we had that relationship 404 00:23:25,526 --> 00:23:27,664 that he felt like he could come to me first. 405 00:23:27,664 --> 00:23:31,353 It was the probably the best experience I could've had 406 00:23:31,353 --> 00:23:33,215 for the first person I told that I was gay. 407 00:23:52,146 --> 00:23:54,181 Oh, look at him. Come on. 408 00:23:54,181 --> 00:23:56,836 Just fall for one and not in the water. 409 00:23:57,870 --> 00:23:59,388 Once you come out for the first time 410 00:23:59,388 --> 00:24:00,491 and it goes well, you want 411 00:24:00,491 --> 00:24:02,595 to tell the next person right away, 412 00:24:02,595 --> 00:24:06,905 but you've expended so much mental energy 413 00:24:07,802 --> 00:24:09,767 trying to come out to the first person that like, 414 00:24:09,767 --> 00:24:11,422 you're just exhausted by the end of it. 415 00:24:16,457 --> 00:24:19,629 That looks pretty good too. Right side there. 416 00:24:21,939 --> 00:24:23,284 There was one night we went to this cabin 417 00:24:23,284 --> 00:24:25,215 and he was like hanging out with this girl all night. 418 00:24:25,215 --> 00:24:28,560 And honestly I like she was, I don't know, 419 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:29,595 I don't even know how to say it. 420 00:24:29,595 --> 00:24:32,077 - She was all over me. - Yeah. 421 00:24:32,077 --> 00:24:34,112 Like kind of that. 422 00:24:34,112 --> 00:24:35,905 Luke didn't like kiss her or anything that night. 423 00:24:35,905 --> 00:24:37,560 And I honestly like, it kind 424 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:38,870 of clicked in my head that night. 425 00:24:40,422 --> 00:24:42,733 - Controls him to drink. - Oh no. 426 00:24:42,733 --> 00:24:45,560 It's gotta go. - You know, Luke opening up to me 427 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:48,560 that let me open up to him about some things that 428 00:24:49,767 --> 00:24:51,250 I probably would've never told him otherwise. 429 00:24:51,250 --> 00:24:54,250 Right? So sometimes it takes one person 430 00:24:54,250 --> 00:24:55,905 to take a big step forward so 431 00:24:55,905 --> 00:24:58,215 that other people can take little steps forward. 432 00:25:01,836 --> 00:25:03,146 Oh that looks like a dart. 433 00:25:09,664 --> 00:25:11,284 Oh, I thought that was perfect. 434 00:25:12,595 --> 00:25:13,526 Fuck. 435 00:25:17,939 --> 00:25:19,491 I remember specifically, 436 00:25:19,491 --> 00:25:21,767 I was terrified of coming out to my dad. 437 00:25:24,491 --> 00:25:27,319 I love my dad. Very passionate man. 438 00:25:27,319 --> 00:25:29,284 He loves me, he loves my family. 439 00:25:30,870 --> 00:25:35,077 He expects a lot from us and is extremely hard on us. 440 00:25:37,974 --> 00:25:40,595 We've never had a real great, like personal, 441 00:25:40,595 --> 00:25:42,008 personal relationship. 442 00:25:42,008 --> 00:25:45,664 It's, it's always How was practice? How was the gym? 443 00:25:45,664 --> 00:25:48,974 How was your skate? Are you getting stronger? 444 00:25:48,974 --> 00:25:50,077 Are you getting faster? 445 00:25:53,664 --> 00:25:54,802 Dont get frustrated. 446 00:25:58,284 --> 00:26:00,146 So it's all, it's like my relationship 447 00:26:00,146 --> 00:26:01,422 with dad's all about hockey. 448 00:26:04,905 --> 00:26:08,870 I was Luke's coach until he was, until he was 13. 449 00:26:08,870 --> 00:26:11,008 And what was that dynamic like? 450 00:26:11,008 --> 00:26:14,215 Oh, I mean, some nights it wasn't great, right? 451 00:26:14,215 --> 00:26:16,388 Some of the car rides home weren't great, 452 00:26:16,388 --> 00:26:20,043 but, you know, the kids are, the kids are different. 453 00:26:20,043 --> 00:26:24,560 You know, Josh being older, I was probably more hard on him 454 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,560 because he would just react differently to it. 455 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,043 Right? And I, and then I would, I would, 456 00:26:31,733 --> 00:26:36,388 regrettably I would kind of use the same tactic on Luke and, 457 00:26:36,388 --> 00:26:39,526 and he wouldn't respond the same way Josh would. 458 00:26:42,215 --> 00:26:45,560 I think Luke sometimes took the criticism maybe a little 459 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,215 bit, a little bit personally, right? 460 00:26:48,215 --> 00:26:50,388 And, and not shut down 461 00:26:50,388 --> 00:26:53,008 but just, just withdrew maybe a little bit more. 462 00:26:55,181 --> 00:26:57,388 You know, how how could I feel good about going into 463 00:26:57,388 --> 00:27:00,939 a game when I just got ripped by my dad, you know, 464 00:27:00,939 --> 00:27:02,077 a few hours earlier. 465 00:27:05,939 --> 00:27:10,905 The car rides, the not talking 466 00:27:10,905 --> 00:27:13,905 for a few days wanting to have a sleepover with one 467 00:27:13,905 --> 00:27:15,905 of my teammates after a game when I played bad. 468 00:27:17,112 --> 00:27:19,767 Just so you know, he didn't feel comfortable 469 00:27:20,767 --> 00:27:22,457 ripping me when there was, you know, 470 00:27:22,457 --> 00:27:23,767 when my teammate was with me. 471 00:27:26,319 --> 00:27:28,595 Yeah. I, those things have definitely 472 00:27:28,595 --> 00:27:29,767 stuck with me for sure. 473 00:27:38,422 --> 00:27:40,629 The story with my dad of how I came out 474 00:27:40,629 --> 00:27:45,319 to him was a lot different than my sister and my mom. 475 00:27:45,319 --> 00:27:47,112 He was always concerned about my dad 476 00:27:47,112 --> 00:27:49,664 and so we kind of like came up with a little plan on 477 00:27:49,664 --> 00:27:50,939 how we were gonna do that together 478 00:27:50,939 --> 00:27:52,733 and when also was the right time for him. 479 00:27:54,664 --> 00:27:56,595 I mean, that was the person I really 480 00:27:56,595 --> 00:27:57,905 wanted it to go well with. 481 00:27:59,319 --> 00:28:01,491 The person that has probably instilled the most in life in 482 00:28:01,491 --> 00:28:03,457 me today as a person. 483 00:28:05,698 --> 00:28:09,802 He told me first and he wasn't ready to tell his dad yet. 484 00:28:10,664 --> 00:28:12,008 And it was hard too 485 00:28:12,008 --> 00:28:16,939 'cause I couldn't talk to Al about it. 486 00:28:22,836 --> 00:28:24,319 So it was really hard to - 487 00:28:27,388 --> 00:28:32,491 She had to, you know, have these, 488 00:28:33,491 --> 00:28:35,181 you know, she had this secret 489 00:28:35,181 --> 00:28:36,526 she couldn't tell me. Right? 490 00:28:36,526 --> 00:28:39,181 No. And I, yeah, it was, it was a secret. 491 00:28:41,905 --> 00:28:45,664 I think it was September, this is now probably three 492 00:28:45,664 --> 00:28:47,319 to four months since I told my sister. 493 00:28:48,664 --> 00:28:52,526 I went to my best friend's house. 494 00:28:52,526 --> 00:28:56,181 I asked her, I said, if, if things don't go well, like 495 00:28:56,181 --> 00:28:59,526 with my dad, can I live here? 496 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,181 So that's kind of when the, the suicidal thoughts came. 497 00:29:18,595 --> 00:29:21,939 'cause my family is, is the most important thing in my life. 498 00:29:22,733 --> 00:29:27,733 And to think at that age to try 499 00:29:27,733 --> 00:29:31,870 and continue on with life without them is, 500 00:29:37,077 --> 00:29:41,767 and you know, not knowing if was a 501 00:29:41,767 --> 00:29:44,112 great idea, if this was gonna be the best thing that happen 502 00:29:44,112 --> 00:29:46,043 to me or the end. 503 00:29:47,767 --> 00:29:49,595 Came home from work one day I was, she was like, you need 504 00:29:49,595 --> 00:29:51,250 to tell dad, you need to tell dad. 505 00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:54,043 I'm like, Alana, stop. I need to tell him on my own time. 506 00:29:55,388 --> 00:29:56,905 And there was a little bit of silence 507 00:29:56,905 --> 00:30:00,526 and then she said he knows 508 00:30:02,733 --> 00:30:07,077 and she then told me that she wanted 509 00:30:07,077 --> 00:30:08,215 to make it easier for me. 510 00:30:10,974 --> 00:30:14,733 So that was two weeks that my dad had known. 511 00:30:14,733 --> 00:30:17,043 When my sister told me that I freaked out. 512 00:30:18,870 --> 00:30:21,491 I never really got to tell my dad on my own terms, 513 00:30:21,491 --> 00:30:22,974 which is something i, I still kind 514 00:30:22,974 --> 00:30:25,008 of regret too to this day. 515 00:30:26,077 --> 00:30:28,077 So finally I met up for lunch with my dad 516 00:30:28,077 --> 00:30:31,250 and I mean we just kind of had a discussion about 517 00:30:33,629 --> 00:30:35,733 why I didn't feel comfortable telling him, 518 00:30:38,698 --> 00:30:40,560 When you do learn of it, 519 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,767 you have all these different emotions, 520 00:30:42,767 --> 00:30:47,250 and I think the biggest one that, 521 00:30:47,250 --> 00:30:50,388 I think we both felt was that he had all this time 522 00:30:50,388 --> 00:30:51,767 where he was dealing with it. 523 00:30:51,767 --> 00:30:55,043 Right? So you go through this sadness for him being 524 00:30:56,077 --> 00:30:57,215 I can, you know, tell anybody 525 00:30:58,250 --> 00:30:59,767 He loves us so much. 526 00:31:01,008 --> 00:31:02,698 So he was the one that took it the hardest 527 00:31:02,698 --> 00:31:04,181 that I couldn't tell him. 528 00:31:06,353 --> 00:31:08,353 I mean, you feel a whole bunch of different stuff, 529 00:31:08,353 --> 00:31:11,939 but I mean, at no time do you ever 530 00:31:13,526 --> 00:31:15,181 like lose sight that he's your son, 531 00:31:19,939 --> 00:31:22,939 You know, he probably, you know, had these, 532 00:31:22,939 --> 00:31:27,146 these feelings at 14, you know, now he's 18, right? 533 00:31:27,146 --> 00:31:30,181 So four years of being alone. 534 00:31:34,353 --> 00:31:37,698 - When he told you... - Stop for a second. 535 00:31:37,698 --> 00:31:39,836 No? Let me go grab some tissues. 536 00:31:47,491 --> 00:31:48,802 Everyone get ready for the picture. 537 00:31:54,526 --> 00:31:56,491 If you look at most sports growing up 538 00:31:56,491 --> 00:31:57,974 they're playing at school. 539 00:31:58,629 --> 00:32:01,870 You're exposed to people of different races, 540 00:32:01,870 --> 00:32:05,077 different interests, different genders. 541 00:32:05,077 --> 00:32:09,698 Hockey, we take our kids, we put them in locker rooms with 542 00:32:09,698 --> 00:32:11,008 20 people just like them. 543 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:17,560 Race, gender, presumed sexuality socioeconomics, et cetera. 544 00:32:18,112 --> 00:32:21,388 And they're there six nights a week from the age of seven 545 00:32:21,388 --> 00:32:26,077 or eight years old till they're 16, then they go off 546 00:32:26,077 --> 00:32:28,215 and it's reinforced even more in junior. 547 00:32:29,870 --> 00:32:32,353 It's a culture of machismo 548 00:32:32,353 --> 00:32:35,043 and it is a culture that does not 549 00:32:36,698 --> 00:32:40,146 interest itself in any form of diversity. 550 00:32:46,043 --> 00:32:49,215 I think I was so used to being around it 551 00:32:49,215 --> 00:32:51,526 that it really didn't affect me a whole tonne. 552 00:32:52,767 --> 00:32:56,250 If I wanted to be myself at an earlier age, there's no way 553 00:32:56,250 --> 00:32:58,802 that I would be still playing. 554 00:33:00,388 --> 00:33:02,595 I still have nightmares about it, honestly, 555 00:33:02,595 --> 00:33:03,767 like here and there like that. 556 00:33:03,767 --> 00:33:06,146 I'll be back playing on that team. 557 00:33:07,939 --> 00:33:11,146 I ended up playing AAA hockey. 558 00:33:11,146 --> 00:33:13,767 You know, they were trying to breed like OHL Stars. 559 00:33:15,181 --> 00:33:17,526 I was getting called faggot and gay 560 00:33:17,526 --> 00:33:21,457 and got made fun of the way I dressed at the time 561 00:33:21,457 --> 00:33:22,767 that the bullying was happening. 562 00:33:22,767 --> 00:33:25,802 I was still like trying to figure it out. 563 00:33:25,802 --> 00:33:27,698 So people calling me a faggot 564 00:33:27,698 --> 00:33:30,629 or making fun of me for being gay, my instinct was like, no, 565 00:33:30,629 --> 00:33:32,939 I'm not like, why are you saying this about me? 566 00:33:32,939 --> 00:33:34,422 And then I'd have to like deepen my voice 567 00:33:34,422 --> 00:33:36,595 or something to change it. 568 00:33:37,733 --> 00:33:40,146 Like showers were a whole thing getting made 569 00:33:40,146 --> 00:33:43,112 of the way your penis looks like not just me, like everyone. 570 00:33:43,112 --> 00:33:46,077 Like it was a really cutthroat environment. 571 00:33:49,802 --> 00:33:51,112 It was the assistant coach. 572 00:33:51,112 --> 00:33:54,388 He actually would get included in on the jokes with the guys, 573 00:33:55,526 --> 00:33:57,767 and would make fun of me for being gay. 574 00:33:57,767 --> 00:33:59,836 He wasn't like a teenager, he was an adult in the room 575 00:33:59,836 --> 00:34:02,388 with these kids, with them, seeing them shower, 576 00:34:02,388 --> 00:34:04,008 seeing them naked, you know, 577 00:34:04,008 --> 00:34:07,077 making all these jokes about body stuff. 578 00:34:07,077 --> 00:34:08,388 I think if I saw him again, I would 579 00:34:08,388 --> 00:34:09,526 tell him to go fuck himself. 580 00:34:09,526 --> 00:34:11,698 Like I hate that guy. 581 00:34:12,733 --> 00:34:14,802 And everyone loved him and it made me sick. It was so crazy. 582 00:34:37,526 --> 00:34:42,215 Holy shit. He went that high? That's really cool 583 00:34:42,215 --> 00:34:45,008 actually. He played his whole junior career in Washingtons, 584 00:34:45,008 --> 00:34:46,629 gets to kind of stay in that area. 585 00:34:46,629 --> 00:34:48,319 That's cool for him and his family. 586 00:34:51,353 --> 00:34:53,836 How do you feel when you watch the draught happen? 587 00:34:53,836 --> 00:34:56,215 I get jealous a hundred percent. 588 00:34:56,215 --> 00:35:00,560 My draught was the first year I guess of COVID, 589 00:35:02,077 --> 00:35:04,595 it was the first virtual draught they did. 590 00:35:04,905 --> 00:35:06,422 I mean, I was just really hoping I didn't get 591 00:35:06,422 --> 00:35:07,802 drafted during a commercial. 592 00:35:15,250 --> 00:35:17,353 There's no guarantees, right? 593 00:35:17,353 --> 00:35:18,733 You got 32 teams 594 00:35:18,733 --> 00:35:20,905 and you need one team to, to like you. Yeah. 595 00:35:20,905 --> 00:35:23,939 We decided to gather as a family of friends 596 00:35:23,939 --> 00:35:26,905 and some Luke's coaches or special people in his life. 597 00:35:26,905 --> 00:35:30,112 And so the thought comes across your head like 598 00:35:30,112 --> 00:35:32,905 what happens if they don't call his name and we're all here. 599 00:35:33,870 --> 00:35:35,733 And then they called his name out 600 00:35:41,457 --> 00:35:43,077 and he always loved Nashville. 601 00:35:43,077 --> 00:35:44,698 He always, he had a couple 602 00:35:44,698 --> 00:35:46,250 of Nashville jerseys growing up, 603 00:35:48,250 --> 00:35:50,284 so he was pretty excited 604 00:35:50,284 --> 00:35:53,595 that it was Nashville that called his name that day. 605 00:35:54,905 --> 00:35:56,215 It was like a dream come true. 606 00:35:56,215 --> 00:35:57,181 Yeah. 607 00:36:16,802 --> 00:36:19,388 The million dollar question for me constantly is like, 608 00:36:19,388 --> 00:36:22,112 why isn't there a gay NHL player? 609 00:36:22,112 --> 00:36:24,939 And you know, Luke now is under contract with an NHL, 610 00:36:24,939 --> 00:36:27,181 which is such a great breakthrough. 611 00:36:27,181 --> 00:36:28,664 Where are the current players? 612 00:36:29,974 --> 00:36:35,008 We have gay players. Any statistician will tell you that 613 00:36:35,008 --> 00:36:36,388 we have gay players in the NHL. 614 00:36:36,388 --> 00:36:38,008 We have since the league opened 615 00:36:38,008 --> 00:36:39,870 for business a hundred years ago. 616 00:36:39,870 --> 00:36:42,870 What we don't have are out gay players. 617 00:36:42,870 --> 00:36:45,664 The question is why are they not comfortable in this 618 00:36:45,664 --> 00:36:47,767 environment, in the hockey environment? 619 00:36:48,974 --> 00:36:51,319 I ended up having this phone call with George Larock 620 00:36:51,319 --> 00:36:54,560 that had played in the NHL, the Canadians, the Oilers. 621 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:57,319 He said, you need to find out why it's not okay to be gay. 622 00:36:57,319 --> 00:36:59,664 He said, you know, there are gay men in the NHL, 623 00:36:59,664 --> 00:37:01,733 their teammates keep their secret. 624 00:37:02,215 --> 00:37:03,422 They, they are out there. 625 00:37:03,422 --> 00:37:07,215 And, and I know I've been privy to some brokering some deals 626 00:37:07,215 --> 00:37:10,388 where an athlete NHL player's going to come out 627 00:37:10,388 --> 00:37:13,181 and always at the last minute it falls through. 628 00:37:16,422 --> 00:37:17,560 Oh. 629 00:37:17,870 --> 00:37:20,388 I don't see, especially as there's no out alumni. 630 00:37:20,388 --> 00:37:24,905 No, - That's, that's so disturbing. Like shocking to me. 631 00:37:24,905 --> 00:37:27,353 I can't like wrap my brain around it 632 00:37:28,526 --> 00:37:30,077 of being like an adult 633 00:37:30,077 --> 00:37:34,870 and still being kind of ashamed of who you are 634 00:37:34,870 --> 00:37:38,250 or not letting yourself be your true self. 635 00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:39,974 I don't, I don't understand that. 636 00:37:41,422 --> 00:37:44,733 I mean, I didn't think it should matter that I was gay. 637 00:37:44,733 --> 00:37:49,250 I think, you know, if a gay player were to be in the NHL, 638 00:37:49,250 --> 00:37:51,870 it's because of his hockey talent. 639 00:37:59,457 --> 00:38:01,733 Luke called us for and says, you know, we need to talk. 640 00:38:02,836 --> 00:38:04,802 So we'd had no idea what was going on. 641 00:38:10,388 --> 00:38:11,388 - How's it going - Buddy. 642 00:38:11,388 --> 00:38:12,733 How are you doing? 643 00:38:12,733 --> 00:38:13,491 Good to see you. You too. How are things? 644 00:38:13,698 --> 00:38:16,422 And yeah, Luke tells us, he says, I'm gay 645 00:38:16,422 --> 00:38:18,250 and this is what I'm doing. 646 00:38:18,250 --> 00:38:20,905 And we're like. I'm the only one that talked. 647 00:38:27,077 --> 00:38:28,802 And I get a phone call from Jerry Johanson, 648 00:38:28,802 --> 00:38:30,491 Luke's agent, right? 649 00:38:30,491 --> 00:38:31,595 He goes, I have a player in the Western 650 00:38:31,595 --> 00:38:32,974 League that wants to come out. 651 00:38:32,974 --> 00:38:35,181 Can you connect with him? And I was like, what? Like really? 652 00:38:35,181 --> 00:38:36,491 Like, and he's like, yeah, he's just, 653 00:38:36,491 --> 00:38:37,457 you know, he's a signed prospect. 654 00:38:37,457 --> 00:38:38,870 He wants to, I was like, whoa, 655 00:38:40,595 --> 00:38:42,077 If things didn't go well with hockey, 656 00:38:44,629 --> 00:38:46,043 I didn't really have a backup plan for that. 657 00:38:48,284 --> 00:38:49,836 Hockey was my entire life. 658 00:38:49,836 --> 00:38:52,767 I don't know what I would be doing if I wasn't playing. 659 00:38:55,802 --> 00:38:59,146 I believe that an openly gay man should be able 660 00:38:59,146 --> 00:39:03,353 to have an NHL career, but, 661 00:39:05,629 --> 00:39:07,836 people dont like change. 662 00:39:07,836 --> 00:39:10,353 There, there was no guarantee the, you know, 663 00:39:10,353 --> 00:39:14,629 what the impact of this would be on his career. 664 00:39:14,629 --> 00:39:16,319 I worried about his hockey. 665 00:39:16,319 --> 00:39:19,008 I worried about he as a mum you worry 666 00:39:19,008 --> 00:39:23,698 and I so you worry where is his life trajectory gonna go? 667 00:39:23,698 --> 00:39:27,974 What's gonna happen? How is this all gonna work out? 668 00:39:30,181 --> 00:39:31,870 {\an8}there aren't teams out there that, 669 00:39:31,870 --> 00:39:36,181 {\an8}that wouldn't support a gay man in professional hockey. 670 00:39:36,181 --> 00:39:38,664 {\an8}So we had a, you know, we had that discussion, Hey, 671 00:39:38,664 --> 00:39:40,526 do you really want to do this? 672 00:39:40,526 --> 00:39:44,146 Knowing that it could affect ultimately how far you're able 673 00:39:44,146 --> 00:39:45,664 to go in this game. 674 00:39:45,664 --> 00:39:47,146 And he didn't care. 675 00:39:49,422 --> 00:39:52,870 I'd be fine not playing hockey if, if it wasn't accepted. 676 00:39:54,181 --> 00:39:57,457 Hockey's a game. I love hockey. 677 00:39:57,457 --> 00:39:59,629 It's given me so much in life, 678 00:39:59,629 --> 00:40:04,629 but there's no way I would jeopardise 679 00:40:06,181 --> 00:40:08,008 my life for a game. 680 00:40:09,353 --> 00:40:10,319 There's no way. 681 00:40:20,836 --> 00:40:23,043 I think I sent the Instagram post 682 00:40:23,043 --> 00:40:26,836 and Twitter post out at like 7:30. 683 00:40:26,836 --> 00:40:28,077 And we did a good job with it. 684 00:40:28,077 --> 00:40:31,008 Like, I didn't have any control of my social media. 685 00:40:31,008 --> 00:40:33,388 Like, I logged out on my Instagram and my Twitter. 686 00:40:35,836 --> 00:40:38,008 You let it fly, said you guys 687 00:40:38,008 --> 00:40:38,560 Let it fly. 688 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:39,664 You guys deal with it. 689 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:43,698 My whole goal 690 00:40:44,526 --> 00:40:46,491 outside of doing it for me personally was just 691 00:40:46,491 --> 00:40:48,491 to help one kid out there 692 00:40:50,388 --> 00:40:54,664 and someone has to do it. 693 00:40:54,664 --> 00:40:55,836 You know what I mean? 694 00:40:55,836 --> 00:40:57,664 Like someone has to take that step 695 00:40:57,664 --> 00:40:59,319 and say, fuck it, I'm gonna be the first 696 00:40:59,319 --> 00:41:00,595 person to, to come out. 697 00:41:05,422 --> 00:41:08,767 I'm gonna take all of the shit that comes my way 698 00:41:08,767 --> 00:41:10,595 and I'm gonna show that it it's okay to be 699 00:41:10,595 --> 00:41:11,870 who you are and do what you love. 700 00:41:17,526 --> 00:41:19,422 Hi everyone. While the past year 701 00:41:19,422 --> 00:41:22,526 and a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance 702 00:41:22,526 --> 00:41:24,733 to find my true self. 703 00:41:24,733 --> 00:41:28,008 Today I'm proud to publicly tell everyone that I'm gay. 704 00:41:30,595 --> 00:41:34,215 I hope that in sharing who I am, I can help other people see 705 00:41:34,215 --> 00:41:37,284 that gay people are welcome in the hockey community 706 00:41:37,284 --> 00:41:40,284 as we work to make sure that hockey truly is for everyone. 707 00:41:44,905 --> 00:41:46,733 I may be new to the community, 708 00:41:46,733 --> 00:41:49,215 but I'm eager to learn about the strong 709 00:41:49,215 --> 00:41:51,595 and resilient people who came before me 710 00:41:51,595 --> 00:41:54,043 and pave the way so I could be more comfortable today. 711 00:41:57,250 --> 00:41:59,388 This is just the beginning of my journey 712 00:41:59,388 --> 00:42:00,629 and I'm excited to see 713 00:42:00,629 --> 00:42:03,664 where it takes me both in hockey and in life. 714 00:42:06,974 --> 00:42:10,974 Fuck. Finally, like finally 715 00:42:10,974 --> 00:42:12,491 somebody has done it. 716 00:42:12,491 --> 00:42:14,974 Like, holy smokes, thank God. 717 00:42:14,974 --> 00:42:16,457 I think I read pretty much all the stories 718 00:42:16,457 --> 00:42:18,457 that I could find at the time 719 00:42:18,457 --> 00:42:23,008 and so I was just so impressed 720 00:42:23,008 --> 00:42:25,353 And I said, the media's gonna take this and run with it. 721 00:42:26,767 --> 00:42:29,836 {\an8}Luke Prokob came out with an Instagram post. 722 00:42:29,836 --> 00:42:33,491 {\an8}He will be the first openly gay player in the NHL. 723 00:42:33,491 --> 00:42:37,146 As the first player ever under contract has come 724 00:42:37,146 --> 00:42:38,664 out as gay. 725 00:42:38,664 --> 00:42:41,319 {\an8}Luke Prokop of the Nashville Predators Organisation has 726 00:42:41,319 --> 00:42:43,146 {\an8}officially come out on social media. 727 00:42:43,146 --> 00:42:45,526 {\an8}Edmonton born Defensemen said he didn't know 728 00:42:45,526 --> 00:42:48,526 {\an8}how others were going to react. 729 00:43:16,181 --> 00:43:17,698 On top of the world. 730 00:43:17,698 --> 00:43:21,353 I was taken back by how positive it was 731 00:43:21,353 --> 00:43:24,698 and that's, 732 00:43:24,698 --> 00:43:28,008 that's all you want when you're coming out. 733 00:43:31,422 --> 00:43:32,560 Yeah, Elton John called me. 734 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:36,146 That was sick, that was the morning after. 735 00:43:38,043 --> 00:43:40,422 So I got a text message from Austin Matthews 736 00:43:40,422 --> 00:43:41,698 that was really cool to see. 737 00:43:45,733 --> 00:43:47,870 I couldn't believe what a different person he was 738 00:43:51,870 --> 00:43:53,388 because he was struggling before. 739 00:43:53,388 --> 00:43:56,250 Yeah. - So he would participate in more things 740 00:43:56,250 --> 00:43:57,905 and just be more open to things. 741 00:44:06,146 --> 00:44:09,491 Everything changed. So like the, the switch flipped. 742 00:44:32,939 --> 00:44:34,802 What you think of that shoot man? 743 00:44:34,802 --> 00:44:36,112 That was dope. 744 00:44:36,112 --> 00:44:40,077 Yeah, - Like nothing, never done anything like that so 745 00:44:40,077 --> 00:44:42,939 little definitely way out like my comfort zone. 746 00:44:42,939 --> 00:44:45,319 But they made me feel like I was doing a good job 747 00:44:45,319 --> 00:44:47,974 and said I was a natural and things like that 748 00:44:47,974 --> 00:44:49,664 and got to wear some pretty cool fits. 749 00:44:49,664 --> 00:44:51,422 - Yeah. - So it was dope. 750 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,353 There's a real difference between reacting to a gay player 751 00:45:14,353 --> 00:45:15,733 and welcoming a gay player. 752 00:45:15,733 --> 00:45:17,250 I think that the, the notion 753 00:45:17,250 --> 00:45:19,664 that we're gonna create a a safe space, 754 00:45:19,664 --> 00:45:21,008 no one's really done that. 755 00:45:21,008 --> 00:45:23,146 {\an8}You can have an out player, but it's what comes 756 00:45:23,146 --> 00:45:24,733 {\an8}after that announcement. 757 00:45:24,733 --> 00:45:28,422 It's really the ecosystem that needs to take over. 758 00:45:28,422 --> 00:45:31,043 When we knew that there was a potential trade to happen 759 00:45:31,043 --> 00:45:33,664 and bring Luke in, like we had some conversations, like 760 00:45:35,008 --> 00:45:37,491 anytime you go through an experience that no one has dealt 761 00:45:37,491 --> 00:45:40,319 with before, you're gonna have questions like, oh, 762 00:45:40,319 --> 00:45:42,077 are we gonna be able to room him 763 00:45:42,077 --> 00:45:43,836 with different players on the road? 764 00:45:43,836 --> 00:45:45,181 Or like, what if we had a player 765 00:45:45,181 --> 00:45:47,664 that was extremely homophobic, like 766 00:45:47,664 --> 00:45:49,181 how would we deal with that? 767 00:45:53,215 --> 00:45:54,250 There's still hurdles 768 00:45:54,250 --> 00:45:55,698 and burdens as there always will be, 769 00:45:55,698 --> 00:45:57,870 but the players accepted him 770 00:45:57,870 --> 00:45:59,319 and you know, I thought 771 00:45:59,319 --> 00:46:01,870 his teammates did a tremendous job of 772 00:46:01,870 --> 00:46:04,388 just letting him come to a place that felt normal. 773 00:46:07,491 --> 00:46:08,974 It's the Edmonton Oil Kings by far 774 00:46:08,974 --> 00:46:11,353 that made me feel the most comfortable 775 00:46:11,353 --> 00:46:12,457 within an organisation. 776 00:46:13,319 --> 00:46:15,836 When Luke came in, it was the captain at the time, 777 00:46:15,836 --> 00:46:18,457 Jake Neighbours and our assistant captain that stood up 778 00:46:18,457 --> 00:46:21,146 and were like, Luke is one of us, so if you have questions, 779 00:46:21,146 --> 00:46:22,491 ask them now. 780 00:46:22,491 --> 00:46:25,181 Otherwise we're not making a deal about this. 781 00:46:31,284 --> 00:46:33,698 You know, this massive weight has lifted off 782 00:46:33,698 --> 00:46:34,767 his shoulders. 783 00:46:34,767 --> 00:46:37,319 He's, he's basically, 784 00:46:37,319 --> 00:46:39,491 he's basically become like a different person, 785 00:46:39,491 --> 00:46:42,319 like it translated into his hockey big time. 786 00:46:42,319 --> 00:46:43,767 Able to create the turnover here for Edmonton. 787 00:46:43,767 --> 00:46:45,215 Here comes Prokop and over the Raider line. 788 00:46:51,319 --> 00:46:54,284 Luke Prokop shows off the hand-eye 789 00:46:56,146 --> 00:46:58,043 I have the most goals I've ever scored. 790 00:46:58,043 --> 00:47:00,491 I have the most points I've ever had. 791 00:47:00,491 --> 00:47:04,043 I set a WHL record in the playoffs for plus minus. 792 00:47:04,043 --> 00:47:05,457 Prokop scores. 793 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:10,146 What a gorgeous shot from Luke Prokop. 794 00:47:13,043 --> 00:47:14,560 There were so many things statistically 795 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:16,698 that you can look at where it was like, 796 00:47:16,698 --> 00:47:18,008 okay, what was the change? 797 00:47:18,008 --> 00:47:19,733 And it was all coming up. 798 00:47:19,733 --> 00:47:22,870 It wasn't extra skills, it wasn't extra workouts. 799 00:47:22,870 --> 00:47:25,043 - Luke Prokop. - It wasn't better 800 00:47:25,043 --> 00:47:26,353 sleep, it wasn't better nutrition. 801 00:47:26,353 --> 00:47:27,422 It was me coming up. 802 00:47:29,733 --> 00:47:33,698 The horn sounds, the wait is over the Edmonton Oil Kings 803 00:47:33,698 --> 00:47:35,767 sit at their throne once again. 804 00:47:35,767 --> 00:47:39,698 Their crown, the 2022 Western 805 00:47:39,698 --> 00:47:41,077 Hockey League champions. 806 00:47:42,629 --> 00:47:46,905 Oh, what a nice, oh, what a season. Oh, what a team. 807 00:47:50,043 --> 00:47:51,698 {\an8}The year couldn't have gotten better. 808 00:47:51,698 --> 00:47:53,112 {\an8}You know, I got traded to my hometown 809 00:47:53,112 --> 00:47:54,698 {\an8}team, they accepted me. 810 00:47:54,698 --> 00:47:56,250 It was awesome. We won. 811 00:48:06,698 --> 00:48:09,077 Everybody just wants to say that it's good. 812 00:48:09,077 --> 00:48:12,457 And it's hasn't been, it hasn't been easy. 813 00:48:12,457 --> 00:48:13,733 It hasn't been the worst thing ever, 814 00:48:13,733 --> 00:48:14,905 but it hasn't been easy. 815 00:48:18,250 --> 00:48:20,767 He got a lot of hate when he was playing 816 00:48:20,767 --> 00:48:23,284 and he kind of, I think pushes it under the rug 817 00:48:23,284 --> 00:48:25,905 because he doesn't want that to be the spotlight. 818 00:48:25,905 --> 00:48:28,595 But it was there. 819 00:48:30,112 --> 00:48:31,422 I think fans more so, 820 00:48:31,422 --> 00:48:33,767 but opponents too, like I've, I've seen it. 821 00:48:37,939 --> 00:48:41,595 There was a certain incident where there was a, 822 00:48:42,905 --> 00:48:45,457 how do I say this in the nicest terms, 823 00:48:45,457 --> 00:48:48,077 a cock sucking gesture towards me from 824 00:48:48,077 --> 00:48:49,836 the other guy on the other team. 825 00:48:49,836 --> 00:48:51,767 Our guys saw it 826 00:48:51,767 --> 00:48:56,112 and went to absolutely bananas at the end of the game. 827 00:48:56,112 --> 00:48:58,181 Went after the kid, our coach went to their coach 828 00:48:58,181 --> 00:49:01,353 and was like, did you not just see this gesture they made? 829 00:49:01,353 --> 00:49:04,939 And the coach was like, I didn't see it. Well you did. 830 00:49:09,077 --> 00:49:11,802 I feel like it's glossed over really easily 831 00:49:11,802 --> 00:49:13,353 how hard it's been for him 832 00:49:13,353 --> 00:49:16,008 because he will not tell you that 833 00:49:16,008 --> 00:49:20,353 Luke was 19 when he came out like that was too young 834 00:49:20,353 --> 00:49:22,319 to take on the burden that he's taken on. 835 00:49:24,008 --> 00:49:26,526 I mean, playing hockey in the southern United States like 836 00:49:26,526 --> 00:49:30,698 that's, they've been very loud with their laws 837 00:49:30,698 --> 00:49:34,422 and their decisions that they've made in, in certain states 838 00:49:34,422 --> 00:49:38,077 that people like him aren't accepted. 839 00:49:51,353 --> 00:49:52,767 There's been at times this season 840 00:49:52,767 --> 00:49:55,319 where it feels like you, they just forget about you. 841 00:49:56,457 --> 00:49:59,664 So feeling like the team that drafted you, signed you, 842 00:49:59,664 --> 00:50:01,526 it doesn't believe in you anymore. 843 00:50:01,526 --> 00:50:05,491 It's hard to continue to go out, play and try to please them. 844 00:50:05,491 --> 00:50:06,802 Number 25, 845 00:50:10,836 --> 00:50:12,181 What would Luke need to do to show he's 846 00:50:12,181 --> 00:50:13,836 ready to play in the NHL? 847 00:50:13,836 --> 00:50:16,836 {\an8}Yeah, it's rounding out your game in terms 848 00:50:16,836 --> 00:50:17,905 {\an8}of defensive habits 849 00:50:19,112 --> 00:50:22,664 {\an8}and that's being engaged, being athletic, you know, you have 850 00:50:22,664 --> 00:50:24,802 to be hard on guys defensively, 851 00:50:27,802 --> 00:50:31,353 you expect that from a six foot five guy, 852 00:50:31,353 --> 00:50:33,319 and probably, that's an area 853 00:50:33,319 --> 00:50:35,526 where it doesn't come naturally to him. 854 00:50:35,526 --> 00:50:37,664 It's just this innate ability to go 855 00:50:37,664 --> 00:50:40,491 to a different place and be like, you're in my way, 856 00:50:40,491 --> 00:50:42,491 get outta my way. 857 00:50:42,491 --> 00:50:43,974 This wants to be your career and your livelihood. 858 00:50:43,974 --> 00:50:46,974 Like let's kind of foster these habits and this attitude. 859 00:50:46,974 --> 00:50:48,595 And it's always been the same thing 860 00:50:48,595 --> 00:50:51,457 for the past five years ever since I got into junior. 861 00:50:51,457 --> 00:50:53,008 You need to be more physical. 862 00:50:53,008 --> 00:50:55,146 You're six foot five, you need to use your body more. 863 00:50:55,146 --> 00:50:57,974 You know, like that's not my personality off, 864 00:50:57,974 --> 00:50:59,319 outside of the rink at all. 865 00:50:59,319 --> 00:51:00,629 And I have a hard time just kind 866 00:51:00,629 --> 00:51:02,112 of flipping the switch when I get to the rink. 867 00:51:04,733 --> 00:51:06,422 It's just who I am as a person. 868 00:51:06,422 --> 00:51:09,319 Not to, not to want to do those things. 869 00:51:09,319 --> 00:51:12,215 Penetrate their house. Let's get fucking inside tonight. 870 00:51:12,215 --> 00:51:13,698 Lots of fucking shots, lots 871 00:51:13,698 --> 00:51:15,767 of second thirds crash that fucking net. 872 00:51:15,767 --> 00:51:17,905 Get some bodies there. If we're going low to high, it has 873 00:51:17,905 --> 00:51:19,802 to be fucking low to high. 874 00:51:20,870 --> 00:51:23,250 There's always an underlying feeling of like, you know, 875 00:51:23,250 --> 00:51:24,802 why are these decisions being made? 876 00:51:25,870 --> 00:51:27,319 Right? And, and we'll never know. 877 00:51:27,319 --> 00:51:28,733 We will never know it 878 00:51:28,733 --> 00:51:30,215 because no one will ever, 879 00:51:31,181 --> 00:51:32,974 they're not gonna tell you if reasons are made based 880 00:51:32,974 --> 00:51:34,733 on, you know, him being openly gay. 881 00:51:34,733 --> 00:51:37,250 But I think it's, 882 00:51:37,250 --> 00:51:38,905 I question it I think a lot more than he 883 00:51:38,905 --> 00:51:40,733 does, which is good. 884 00:51:40,733 --> 00:51:45,077 But, I wonder, you know, why he's in the situations 885 00:51:45,077 --> 00:51:47,802 that he's in and if it will ever happen. 886 00:51:47,802 --> 00:51:50,008 Why do you draught a player in the third round, 887 00:51:51,077 --> 00:51:52,802 sign him within two months 888 00:51:53,595 --> 00:51:57,077 and basically give him no opportunity 889 00:51:57,077 --> 00:52:01,284 to develop within your system all coinciding 890 00:52:01,284 --> 00:52:02,802 with when he came out. 891 00:52:05,733 --> 00:52:08,077 So I mean, you guys can connect the dots. 892 00:52:15,043 --> 00:52:17,767 Sometimes you wonder if it was 893 00:52:17,767 --> 00:52:19,526 easier if I didn't come out. 894 00:52:21,802 --> 00:52:24,836 I wanna put my whole focus on hockey. 895 00:52:24,836 --> 00:52:27,457 And then you have to add on the fact of, you know, 896 00:52:27,457 --> 00:52:30,457 do I feel like my teammates respect me? 897 00:52:30,457 --> 00:52:33,146 Do I have to be careful around them? 898 00:52:33,146 --> 00:52:37,629 Do I have to keep my mouth shut if I didn't, you know, 899 00:52:37,629 --> 00:52:38,870 come out, I wouldn't have to worry about all 900 00:52:38,870 --> 00:52:43,112 that extra stuff And I don't know, maybe, 901 00:52:44,491 --> 00:52:49,388 maybe my life would be more where I want it to be 902 00:52:49,388 --> 00:52:54,457 if I didn't in terms of hockey, I have to deal with all 903 00:52:54,457 --> 00:52:57,905 that extra stuff because I want live the way I want to live. 904 00:53:05,353 --> 00:53:07,974 I really believe that we were making steady progress. 905 00:53:07,974 --> 00:53:11,353 There's been kind of a hard right turn on the right wing 906 00:53:11,353 --> 00:53:12,870 fringes of America 907 00:53:12,870 --> 00:53:15,870 and Canada where it's been pushed back against the 908 00:53:15,870 --> 00:53:20,146 {\an8}LGBTQ community, which I resent and fear greatly. 909 00:53:22,526 --> 00:53:26,870 {\an8}At least four NHL players have pride night this season. 910 00:53:26,870 --> 00:53:29,870 {\an8}The players cite their religious beliefs as reasons 911 00:53:29,870 --> 00:53:32,526 for not donning the pride warmup jerseys. 912 00:53:35,870 --> 00:53:38,870 We made such a stride with the NHL wearing pride jerseys, 913 00:53:38,870 --> 00:53:40,629 having pride nights, all of this. 914 00:53:40,629 --> 00:53:44,560 And then a handful of guys call it three or four came out 915 00:53:44,560 --> 00:53:47,733 and said something and we pulled back 916 00:53:47,733 --> 00:53:51,284 The NHL banned pride tape and specialty jerseys 917 00:53:51,284 --> 00:53:53,870 after several players sparked controversy 918 00:53:53,870 --> 00:53:56,077 for sitting out pride night activity. 919 00:53:57,112 --> 00:53:59,284 Luke and I just walked out of an interview 920 00:53:59,284 --> 00:54:01,905 and all of a sudden Elliot Friedman called me 921 00:54:01,905 --> 00:54:03,422 and said, Hey Gary Beman just announced 922 00:54:03,422 --> 00:54:04,595 that pride juries are now 923 00:54:04,595 --> 00:54:06,284 {\an8}banned 'cause they're a distraction. 924 00:54:06,284 --> 00:54:08,767 {\an8}That's just become more 925 00:54:08,767 --> 00:54:11,939 {\an8}of a distraction from really the essence of 926 00:54:11,939 --> 00:54:13,457 {\an8}what the purpose of these nights are. 927 00:54:13,457 --> 00:54:15,905 And I'm like, oh, should we go retake this interview? 928 00:54:17,939 --> 00:54:19,629 Probably have heard in the commissioner say yes 929 00:54:19,629 --> 00:54:22,284 or the league would accept a gay player, 930 00:54:22,284 --> 00:54:24,905 but there's always a but. But, we need 931 00:54:24,905 --> 00:54:26,939 to respect everyone's views. 932 00:54:26,939 --> 00:54:31,181 So your your goalie's from Russia, so you're dealing 933 00:54:31,181 --> 00:54:34,353 with a Russian culture as part of your team. 934 00:54:34,353 --> 00:54:36,250 I'm gay. Well, you're gonna have to deal 935 00:54:36,250 --> 00:54:38,077 with a little gay culture as part of your team. 936 00:54:44,250 --> 00:54:48,457 You know, the people at the very top have been in hockey 937 00:54:48,457 --> 00:54:51,457 all along and they've grown within hockey culture. 938 00:54:51,457 --> 00:54:53,698 And hockey culture has not been one 939 00:54:53,698 --> 00:54:57,664 that's ever celebrated diversity or inclusivity. 940 00:55:00,112 --> 00:55:01,870 Hockey is not a diverse sport sexually, 941 00:55:01,870 --> 00:55:04,905 it's not a diverse sport racially it's not a diverse sport. 942 00:55:04,905 --> 00:55:07,526 You know, like hockey is the only sport where you have 943 00:55:07,526 --> 00:55:09,664 to divide up white people into categories where you're like, 944 00:55:09,664 --> 00:55:11,664 no, no, no, he's Finnish and he's Swedish. 945 00:55:13,491 --> 00:55:17,595 There's very little queer representation. 946 00:55:17,595 --> 00:55:22,008 So people are making decisions without even talking 947 00:55:22,008 --> 00:55:26,974 to us, without knowing the impact of any of this. 948 00:55:28,698 --> 00:55:33,664 The NHL still has a lot of committed people in its office, 949 00:55:33,664 --> 00:55:35,836 but even those people know that they don't, at the end 950 00:55:35,836 --> 00:55:37,043 of the day call the shots. 951 00:55:38,112 --> 00:55:41,146 It's the team owners. If you take an example 952 00:55:41,146 --> 00:55:45,870 of the Jersey issue that there was 32 people around 953 00:55:45,870 --> 00:55:50,836 that table who decided they knew what the impact would be 954 00:55:50,836 --> 00:55:52,560 and they thought it would be minimal. 955 00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:54,319 It's this cycle. 956 00:55:54,319 --> 00:55:57,008 You're not exposed to any form of diversity. 957 00:55:57,008 --> 00:56:00,388 How are you expected to change this? 958 00:56:01,733 --> 00:56:03,388 We need seats at the table. 959 00:56:04,905 --> 00:56:07,767 I can't necessarily speak my mind on a whole tonne 960 00:56:07,767 --> 00:56:10,870 of things when you don't wanna talk badly about the people 961 00:56:10,870 --> 00:56:12,250 that you work for. 962 00:56:12,250 --> 00:56:13,457 Basically they own you. 963 00:56:15,319 --> 00:56:17,422 The banning of pride tape, the banning of pride. 964 00:56:17,422 --> 00:56:20,112 Jerseys, actions speak louder than words. 965 00:56:47,698 --> 00:56:50,388 I don't have time to be patient anymore. 966 00:56:50,388 --> 00:56:51,560 Maybe the onus is on me 967 00:56:51,560 --> 00:56:53,767 and maybe I have to train hard in the summertime 968 00:56:53,767 --> 00:56:56,388 and just work extremely hard to make them, you know, 969 00:56:56,388 --> 00:56:57,526 not set me down. 970 00:56:59,457 --> 00:57:00,870 The start of the summer 971 00:57:00,870 --> 00:57:03,146 after everything that had happened with my previous season, 972 00:57:03,146 --> 00:57:04,939 it was like a rock was put into my pocket. 973 00:57:05,664 --> 00:57:09,146 That was the pressure from myself, my parents, friends, 974 00:57:09,146 --> 00:57:11,319 coaches, agents, Nashville. 975 00:57:11,319 --> 00:57:12,802 And I could feel it weighing me down. 976 00:57:13,733 --> 00:57:15,457 I'm putting my body through hell right now 977 00:57:15,457 --> 00:57:17,146 for Nashville just to say, fuck you going 978 00:57:17,146 --> 00:57:18,250 down to the coast league. 979 00:57:19,250 --> 00:57:21,939 As the summer got on, I got stronger mentally, physically, 980 00:57:21,939 --> 00:57:23,560 and I was like, I know the rock's there, 981 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:25,112 but I don't care that it's there anymore. 982 00:57:26,077 --> 00:57:29,146 I think I've grown so much as a person, I just kind 983 00:57:29,146 --> 00:57:30,629 of want to go out and play hockey 984 00:57:30,629 --> 00:57:31,802 and be the best version 985 00:57:31,802 --> 00:57:34,008 of myself every day on and off the ice. 986 00:57:36,974 --> 00:57:38,836 So this year I've probably got an extra month, month 987 00:57:38,836 --> 00:57:42,284 and a half in the gym and I've ran my fastest benched my 988 00:57:42,284 --> 00:57:44,974 most, squatted my most, so excited to see 989 00:57:44,974 --> 00:57:46,698 what I can do on the ice. 990 00:57:46,698 --> 00:57:47,664 And you know, 991 00:57:47,905 --> 00:57:50,422 how good I'll feel when, when the season turns around. 992 00:58:12,870 --> 00:58:15,698 This feels like the last hurrah for me. 993 00:58:15,698 --> 00:58:17,353 If I don't have a good year, 994 00:58:17,353 --> 00:58:19,664 then I might not make the NHL ever again. 995 00:58:21,388 --> 00:58:24,388 I also know there's a lot of scouts here, so 996 00:58:24,388 --> 00:58:26,733 I'm showing not just Nashville, 997 00:58:26,733 --> 00:58:28,870 but I'm showing all those other scouts the side 998 00:58:28,870 --> 00:58:30,526 that they've wanted to see for me since I was 999 00:58:30,526 --> 00:58:31,698 16 years old and junior. 1000 00:58:37,388 --> 00:58:38,698 You know, you're playing against guys now 1001 00:58:38,698 --> 00:58:41,215 who have mortgages, kids, families, 1002 00:58:41,215 --> 00:58:44,112 and it's like, you're in my way. 1003 00:58:44,112 --> 00:58:46,836 I'm trying to provide for my family. This is my livelihood. 1004 00:58:46,836 --> 00:58:48,767 I'm fighting for this. 1005 00:58:54,664 --> 00:58:56,629 I am in a battle right now with three other guys 1006 00:58:56,629 --> 00:58:58,422 to make this team and I need to do something 1007 00:58:58,422 --> 00:58:59,664 to separate myself. 1008 00:59:11,112 --> 00:59:14,319 It is gonna be that ugly sort of defence in the trenches, 1009 00:59:15,422 --> 00:59:18,939 battles down low, net front play, like, these hard ugly jobs 1010 00:59:18,939 --> 00:59:21,560 where the game gets ugly, slow, gritty. 1011 00:59:22,767 --> 00:59:25,595 Anytime a coach sees a guy who's willing to commit to that, 1012 00:59:25,595 --> 00:59:27,595 it's like, we have something here. 1013 00:59:27,595 --> 00:59:28,664 You know? 1014 00:59:35,112 --> 00:59:36,319 And I was just like, fuck this. 1015 00:59:36,319 --> 00:59:37,629 Like, I need 1016 00:59:37,629 --> 00:59:40,043 to start doing this stuff if I'm gonna play pro. 1017 00:59:41,526 --> 00:59:43,112 Not to say I was looking for a fight, 1018 00:59:43,112 --> 00:59:45,767 but you know, I would've happily gotten in one today. 1019 00:59:50,457 --> 00:59:53,802 - Let go, let go, let go. - What? 1020 01:00:06,802 --> 01:00:09,112 I thought rookie camp went pretty well for me. 1021 01:00:09,112 --> 01:00:11,939 I had some feedback from the coaches and stuff like that. 1022 01:00:11,939 --> 01:00:15,008 They had noticed a big change in me right away. 1023 01:00:17,939 --> 01:00:20,422 I do. Like, I was just mad at nationals, 1024 01:00:20,422 --> 01:00:22,215 so it came out onto the ice. 1025 01:00:23,250 --> 01:00:26,284 He's had a couple cups of coffee I would say there, 1026 01:00:26,284 --> 01:00:29,112 as we say in the game, but we've had very strong teams too. 1027 01:00:29,112 --> 01:00:32,698 So he's come in at a time where there's steep competition. 1028 01:00:32,698 --> 01:00:36,319 So hopefully Luke can crack the Milwaukee squad this year 1029 01:00:36,319 --> 01:00:37,629 and you know, 1030 01:00:37,629 --> 01:00:39,836 hopefully continue his journey with the organisation. 1031 01:00:58,836 --> 01:01:00,526 We are in the first week 1032 01:01:00,526 --> 01:01:03,250 of the regular season in the American Hockey League. 1033 01:01:18,181 --> 01:01:21,802 I finally got my opportunity playing against Chicago. 1034 01:01:21,802 --> 01:01:22,939 seventh game of the year. 1035 01:01:23,836 --> 01:01:24,802 I was actually the third star 1036 01:01:24,802 --> 01:01:26,836 of the game when we were going off the ice 1037 01:01:26,836 --> 01:01:29,250 and they said that, I was like, no, you got that wrong. 1038 01:01:29,250 --> 01:01:30,629 But I did. I mean, I did play well. 1039 01:01:32,008 --> 01:01:35,698 Just excited to finally be in the spot that I've wanted 1040 01:01:35,698 --> 01:01:37,802 to be, to be playing in the league that I've wanted 1041 01:01:37,802 --> 01:01:39,146 to be playing in, the competition 1042 01:01:39,146 --> 01:01:40,664 I've wanted to be playing against. 1043 01:01:44,629 --> 01:01:46,284 All the hard work I put in the summer feels 1044 01:01:46,284 --> 01:01:47,560 like it's paid off. 1045 01:01:58,077 --> 01:02:01,836 The first American Hockey League goal for Luke Prokop. 1046 01:02:02,595 --> 01:02:06,733 Luke Prokop gets his first a AHL goal at 1047 01:02:06,733 --> 01:02:09,422 18:28 of the first period 1048 01:02:09,422 --> 01:02:12,043 to give Milwaukee a two nothing lead. 1049 01:02:12,043 --> 01:02:14,526 Bound by a job to go to the rink every day 1050 01:02:14,526 --> 01:02:15,905 and work my bag off 1051 01:02:15,905 --> 01:02:18,319 and make it so that there's not even a question 1052 01:02:18,319 --> 01:02:19,733 to take me out of the lineup. 1053 01:02:46,077 --> 01:02:48,733 Okay guys, hello right here. 1054 01:02:51,077 --> 01:02:56,319 Mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson has 1055 01:02:56,319 --> 01:03:01,560 Declared and proclaim that Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 1056 01:03:01,560 --> 01:03:06,250 to be Luke Prokob day City of Milwaukee. 1057 01:03:09,043 --> 01:03:10,870 - Wow. - Holy shit. 1058 01:03:14,767 --> 01:03:15,629 The man of the hour. 1059 01:03:20,629 --> 01:03:22,870 It's really nice to, to meet y'all and, 1060 01:03:22,870 --> 01:03:24,595 and know that I, you know, have some people in my 1061 01:03:24,595 --> 01:03:25,802 corner that are rooting for me. 1062 01:03:25,802 --> 01:03:27,250 So, I really appreciate it. Thank you. 1063 01:03:50,664 --> 01:03:54,319 I hope that this is a point in the history of the game 1064 01:03:54,319 --> 01:03:58,319 where the people that make institutional decisions 1065 01:03:58,319 --> 01:04:01,388 are electing to think about this in a more serious way 1066 01:04:01,388 --> 01:04:05,008 of like, look how much more you could have. 1067 01:04:05,008 --> 01:04:06,974 - Awesome, thank you. - Nice to meet you. 1068 01:04:06,974 --> 01:04:10,526 Leagues that dont start to listen to that. 1069 01:04:10,526 --> 01:04:12,629 They're gonna find themselves in an echo chamber 1070 01:04:12,629 --> 01:04:15,526 that at some point isn't gonna sell out stadiums anymore. 1071 01:04:28,181 --> 01:04:29,146 Course. 1072 01:04:31,112 --> 01:04:33,181 Okay. Maybe not a personal question. 1073 01:04:34,353 --> 01:04:36,870 No, I'm not dating anyone right now. 1074 01:04:36,870 --> 01:04:39,870 It'd be nice to, you know, share this space with someone 1075 01:04:39,870 --> 01:04:43,353 or start, you know, actually dating someone, 1076 01:04:44,457 --> 01:04:46,939 but I'm not gonna rush into anything, 1077 01:04:46,939 --> 01:04:49,733 or you know, be with the wrong person. 1078 01:04:49,733 --> 01:04:53,353 We're gonna, you know, wait for that person to come. 1079 01:05:17,457 --> 01:05:20,905 I haven't played a game since beginning of April. 1080 01:05:23,836 --> 01:05:25,870 I've been having these episodes. 1081 01:05:27,008 --> 01:05:28,629 Whenever I exercise, 1082 01:05:28,629 --> 01:05:31,112 my heart rate will get really, really fast. 1083 01:05:31,112 --> 01:05:34,250 It actually happened during a game against Rockford early 1084 01:05:34,250 --> 01:05:36,733 March, and I got pulled from the game. 1085 01:05:50,008 --> 01:05:53,802 The diagnosis is called Ectopic Atrial Tachycardia. 1086 01:05:54,836 --> 01:05:57,077 So it's tomorrow morning, I'm getting 1087 01:05:57,077 --> 01:05:58,560 a procedure done on my heart. 1088 01:06:01,629 --> 01:06:02,939 This surgery's basically kinda 1089 01:06:04,077 --> 01:06:05,733 officially ending my season. 1090 01:06:07,526 --> 01:06:09,767 Just gonna pause Your favourite colour. 1091 01:06:09,767 --> 01:06:10,595 Oh, good one mom. 1092 01:06:19,733 --> 01:06:20,802 What'd you wish for? 1093 01:06:21,905 --> 01:06:24,870 Everything goes well tomorrow. Hopefully. 1094 01:06:31,595 --> 01:06:34,457 The future of my time with Nashville is 1095 01:06:34,457 --> 01:06:35,422 still up in the air. 1096 01:06:35,664 --> 01:06:38,284 I still could be here next year if they wanna sign me. 1097 01:06:38,284 --> 01:06:39,939 I don't think they will. 1098 01:06:41,664 --> 01:06:43,008 I don't know if I've done enough 1099 01:06:43,008 --> 01:06:45,905 to prove myself to other teams. 1100 01:06:45,905 --> 01:06:48,008 I only have 40 games of a AHL experience, 1101 01:06:48,008 --> 01:06:49,595 my entry level contract. 1102 01:06:49,595 --> 01:06:51,181 Is that enough? Did I do enough 1103 01:06:51,181 --> 01:06:53,422 to earn myself another contract? 1104 01:06:53,422 --> 01:06:56,146 - Doing okay? - Yeah. - You have any pain? 1105 01:06:59,664 --> 01:07:01,905 I have no idea what next season looks like for me. 1106 01:07:01,905 --> 01:07:04,560 Where I'm gonna be, if I'm gonna get a contract? 1107 01:07:06,077 --> 01:07:08,043 If I don't, I might have to go over to Europe. 1108 01:07:45,733 --> 01:07:47,629 It feels great to be home for the summer. 1109 01:07:51,733 --> 01:07:54,043 And I've only been out for three years, 1110 01:07:54,043 --> 01:07:56,905 so, I don't know a whole tonne of the history, you know, 1111 01:07:56,905 --> 01:07:59,215 but within my community and the province and the city. 1112 01:08:01,629 --> 01:08:05,457 1992 King's College fired Delwin Vriend 1113 01:08:06,526 --> 01:08:08,146 solely for being gay. 1114 01:08:08,146 --> 01:08:10,215 It was a policy of King's College. 1115 01:08:10,215 --> 01:08:12,112 If you were gay, you can't be a teacher. 1116 01:08:13,215 --> 01:08:14,388 At that time, 1117 01:08:14,388 --> 01:08:17,870 the Individual Rights Protection Act did not include the 1118 01:08:17,870 --> 01:08:19,181 word sexual orientation. 1119 01:08:20,664 --> 01:08:24,491 So, we went to Court of Queen's bench in 1996. 1120 01:08:24,491 --> 01:08:27,698 The lead judge, you know what this guy did? 1121 01:08:28,629 --> 01:08:30,146 He was so homophobic, 1122 01:08:30,146 --> 01:08:33,974 and so outraged that we were even in his courtroom. 1123 01:08:33,974 --> 01:08:35,353 He turned his chair around. 1124 01:08:38,802 --> 01:08:40,112 Seven years in the making, 1125 01:08:40,112 --> 01:08:41,526 we finally get to the Supreme Court 1126 01:08:41,526 --> 01:08:42,595 of Canada. 1127 01:08:44,457 --> 01:08:45,560 We won. 1128 01:08:48,112 --> 01:08:52,319 And now the Supreme Court decision in the Vriend case is 1129 01:08:52,319 --> 01:08:55,664 {\an8}used in law courts around the world 1130 01:08:55,664 --> 01:08:59,353 {\an8}to bring sexual orientation into their legislation. 1131 01:09:00,664 --> 01:09:02,870 And let's be clear, this fight will never end. 1132 01:09:02,870 --> 01:09:05,008 And that's why I'm really proud that Luke is here 1133 01:09:05,008 --> 01:09:07,905 with us today, because this has to continue. 1134 01:09:07,905 --> 01:09:10,870 Discrimination hinders coming out, coming out hinders 1135 01:09:10,870 --> 01:09:11,905 discrimination. 1136 01:09:14,698 --> 01:09:16,043 All the stuff that they had to go through 1137 01:09:16,043 --> 01:09:17,629 to get our rights in this city 1138 01:09:17,629 --> 01:09:20,353 and in this province was, was something really cool. 1139 01:09:20,353 --> 01:09:22,664 And, you know, Pride was a protest. That's what it was. 1140 01:09:22,664 --> 01:09:23,939 And, and they were protesting 1141 01:09:23,939 --> 01:09:27,215 for our rights basically in this province only, 1142 01:09:27,215 --> 01:09:28,698 you know, 25 years ago. 1143 01:09:31,043 --> 01:09:33,181 I think I've learned a lot about myself. 1144 01:09:34,698 --> 01:09:37,043 You know, with hockey, these decisions are probably gonna 1145 01:09:37,043 --> 01:09:39,595 seem super tiny and super small in five years. 1146 01:09:41,043 --> 01:09:42,181 Life's gonna be okay. 1147 01:09:44,560 --> 01:09:47,112 I think it's just time for me to get a fresh start. 1148 01:09:47,112 --> 01:09:49,319 That's what I'm hoping is gonna happen this summer. 1149 01:09:52,181 --> 01:09:54,353 The Edmonton Oilers have signed Luke Prokop 1150 01:09:54,353 --> 01:09:56,043 {\an8}to their organisation. 1151 01:09:56,043 --> 01:09:57,836 {\an8}He'll play for their a AHL affiliate, 1152 01:09:57,836 --> 01:09:59,974 the Bakersfield Condors starting this month. 1153 01:10:03,526 --> 01:10:06,422 Obviously super happy to sign with my hometown team. 1154 01:10:10,664 --> 01:10:13,043 It's it's in the basement at home. 1155 01:10:21,836 --> 01:10:23,284 It's been kind of a breath 1156 01:10:23,284 --> 01:10:24,870 of fresh air just being in a new organisation, 1157 01:10:24,870 --> 01:10:26,526 which is, you know what I wanted. 1158 01:10:26,526 --> 01:10:28,043 Prokop worked it up the board. 1159 01:10:28,043 --> 01:10:29,698 Training camp was really cool, 1160 01:10:29,698 --> 01:10:31,905 seeing Will Mc David on the ice 1161 01:10:31,905 --> 01:10:33,836 and he came out to, he's like, hi, my name's Connor. 1162 01:10:33,836 --> 01:10:35,698 And I'm like, I know who you fucking are. 1163 01:10:37,388 --> 01:10:39,939 I was able to showcase myself in a way where like, okay, 1164 01:10:39,939 --> 01:10:42,870 this kid belongs and he's an actual prospect. 1165 01:10:47,008 --> 01:10:50,043 Prokop, shot, and it scores! 1166 01:10:52,939 --> 01:10:54,802 Prokop for the point, score. 1167 01:10:58,181 --> 01:11:00,974 {\an8}It's feeling like I was, when I was back in junior, 1168 01:11:01,767 --> 01:11:03,595 just playing carefree 1169 01:11:03,595 --> 01:11:05,008 and truly feeling like 1170 01:11:05,008 --> 01:11:07,250 that these people in the organisation believe in me. 1171 01:11:11,767 --> 01:11:13,457 I've been really happy with how I've playing, 1172 01:11:13,457 --> 01:11:14,905 and the Stan Bowman is like, yeah, 1173 01:11:14,905 --> 01:11:16,284 well you look like a real integral 1174 01:11:16,284 --> 01:11:17,595 piece for us for the future. 1175 01:11:18,457 --> 01:11:21,595 I think we've played 15 games, I've played 14 of them. 1176 01:11:23,284 --> 01:11:25,112 It's everything that I thought it would be just 1177 01:11:25,112 --> 01:11:27,043 with a fresh set of eyes and a new opportunity. 1178 01:11:39,939 --> 01:11:42,905 Heated rivalry going to number one is 1179 01:11:42,905 --> 01:11:44,008 so incredible. 1180 01:11:53,284 --> 01:11:55,008 The story we're telling in heated rivalry 1181 01:11:55,008 --> 01:11:58,284 is a distinct fantasy and it is there to be joyful. 1182 01:11:58,284 --> 01:12:02,319 It shows men being vulnerable and it humanises people. 1183 01:12:10,698 --> 01:12:12,802 The queer community, they finally feel like they have a 1184 01:12:12,802 --> 01:12:15,146 seat at the hockey table of conversation. 1185 01:12:15,146 --> 01:12:18,146 It's a reminder that, like, hockey has the potential 1186 01:12:18,146 --> 01:12:19,146 to appeal to everybody. 1187 01:12:20,077 --> 01:12:23,491 But I do hope that they hear the rallying cry 1188 01:12:23,491 --> 01:12:25,181 of these new fans 1189 01:12:25,181 --> 01:12:29,181 and these people who want to be fans who have been asking 1190 01:12:29,181 --> 01:12:30,974 for change in this culture. 1191 01:12:35,008 --> 01:12:39,319 They're making themselves so heard that I think the rest 1192 01:12:39,319 --> 01:12:41,974 of society is having no choice 1193 01:12:43,008 --> 01:12:46,077 but to pay attention to what they're doing. 1194 01:12:46,077 --> 01:12:47,974 And I think it's beautiful. 1195 01:12:53,664 --> 01:12:57,353 Luke is a big tough hockey player and he goes out there 1196 01:12:57,353 --> 01:12:59,526 and he hits in the corner and he, 1197 01:12:59,526 --> 01:13:00,905 and he stands up for his teammates. 1198 01:13:00,905 --> 01:13:03,422 And so him being also gay, 1199 01:13:03,422 --> 01:13:06,560 it's like melding worlds together for people to see. 1200 01:13:08,250 --> 01:13:09,595 He's existing in a space 1201 01:13:09,595 --> 01:13:11,629 that doesn't have people like him. 1202 01:13:11,629 --> 01:13:14,595 So just his existence matters. 1203 01:13:14,595 --> 01:13:18,250 Just his existence will get people to critically think about 1204 01:13:18,250 --> 01:13:19,836 what they do and what they say. 1205 01:13:22,939 --> 01:13:26,250 There's lots of guys that learned that it wasn't a thing, 1206 01:13:26,250 --> 01:13:28,077 that he's just a regular teammate. 1207 01:13:28,077 --> 01:13:29,905 They learned so much from being with Luke 1208 01:13:29,905 --> 01:13:31,870 that they can now take to other teams. 1209 01:13:31,870 --> 01:13:35,077 Lets go. Woo! Always on time. 1210 01:13:35,077 --> 01:13:37,077 My coach in Bakersfield won't ever say 1211 01:13:37,077 --> 01:13:38,733 girlfriend or wife anymore. 1212 01:13:38,733 --> 01:13:41,905 He'll only say partner. You know, there's guys on my teams 1213 01:13:41,905 --> 01:13:44,560 that are asking questions if I have a boyfriend 1214 01:13:44,560 --> 01:13:46,664 and what was it like to come out? 1215 01:13:46,664 --> 01:13:48,629 So it's like throwing a stone into a pond, 1216 01:13:48,629 --> 01:13:49,733 the ripples spread. 1217 01:13:56,043 --> 01:13:58,319 {\an8}Yeah, there's a lot of things 1218 01:13:58,319 --> 01:14:00,181 to be grateful for in my life right now. 1219 01:14:02,112 --> 01:14:05,974 I have a boyfriend, first time I've ever said 1220 01:14:05,974 --> 01:14:07,457 that on camera. 1221 01:14:09,836 --> 01:14:12,629 First time that like, I'll even like say it to my parents 1222 01:14:12,629 --> 01:14:14,491 and stuff, which is cool, 1223 01:14:14,491 --> 01:14:16,629 but also terrifying at the same time. 1224 01:14:18,629 --> 01:14:19,870 With my dad this year we're off 1225 01:14:19,870 --> 01:14:21,698 to a little bit of a better start. 1226 01:14:21,698 --> 01:14:23,043 You know, if I have a bad game 1227 01:14:23,043 --> 01:14:24,905 and we're able to kind of go back to normal, 1228 01:14:29,146 --> 01:14:31,664 Why very much fisticuff served hitting or anything? 1229 01:14:31,664 --> 01:14:34,284 I kind of like that when I gotten that scrum. 1230 01:14:36,974 --> 01:14:41,146 From my perspective, all of us are probably 1231 01:14:41,146 --> 01:14:44,077 at some point living our childhood again 1232 01:14:44,077 --> 01:14:45,767 through our sons. 1233 01:14:47,319 --> 01:14:49,319 There's so many things that I'd do different. 1234 01:14:49,319 --> 01:14:53,629 I mean, they didn't play it to become a NHL player. 1235 01:14:53,629 --> 01:14:54,905 They played it 'cause it was fun. 1236 01:14:59,974 --> 01:15:04,215 If hockey is done right, if it is inclusive, 1237 01:15:04,215 --> 01:15:08,353 if it is accessible, it has incredible benefits. 1238 01:15:08,353 --> 01:15:12,077 Here we have Luke, the champion of Pre-novice. 1239 01:15:15,112 --> 01:15:17,181 You know, accolades are amazing. 1240 01:15:17,181 --> 01:15:19,388 Winning championships are amazing, 1241 01:15:19,388 --> 01:15:20,836 but people forget all about that. 1242 01:15:22,388 --> 01:15:24,284 They remember the people that made a lasting 1243 01:15:24,284 --> 01:15:25,319 impact on the game. 1244 01:15:28,733 --> 01:15:33,043 If it worked out from a hockey perspective, great. 1245 01:15:33,043 --> 01:15:36,043 If it didn't, you know, he's kind 1246 01:15:36,043 --> 01:15:37,698 of feel like he's did his job. 1247 01:15:42,388 --> 01:15:44,870 Coming out I've been able to connect with kids 1248 01:15:44,870 --> 01:15:46,767 who are kind of in the same spot that I was 1249 01:15:46,767 --> 01:15:48,181 and being able 1250 01:15:48,181 --> 01:15:50,698 to help them along their journey has been amazing. 1251 01:15:52,870 --> 01:15:55,043 It didn't matter to him at the end of the day, 1252 01:15:55,043 --> 01:15:58,043 whether he gotta play one NHL game or not. 1253 01:15:58,043 --> 01:16:01,457 It was more important for him to help people 1254 01:16:01,457 --> 01:16:03,939 and throw this huge weight off his shoulders 1255 01:16:03,939 --> 01:16:05,215 and be able to move forward. 1256 01:16:07,905 --> 01:16:10,008 If one kid watches this and says, 1257 01:16:10,008 --> 01:16:12,353 yeah, I'm having those same fears and anxiety, 1258 01:16:12,353 --> 01:16:15,284 but Luke's done it, Luke's helping to say 1259 01:16:15,284 --> 01:16:16,698 that it can be okay. 1260 01:16:18,629 --> 01:16:21,077 My main goal with this whole documentary is for it 1261 01:16:21,077 --> 01:16:22,388 to reach kids like me. 1262 01:16:23,250 --> 01:16:25,974 If I could help one person, I feel like I've done my job. 1263 01:16:27,802 --> 01:16:31,112 I know that he truly feels like he's making a positive 1264 01:16:31,112 --> 01:16:34,146 impact on others and in his own life and, 1265 01:16:52,008 --> 01:16:53,319 and you are just proud of him.