Gay players in the nhl

So, in that time has one managed to crack an NHL lineup and has free gay xnxx NHL become more welcoming to gay players living out in the open? Yet do players who embrace what many regard as homophobia in the name of their religion really expect to remain unscathed?

Still, the decision is puzzling. Banning Pride jerseys and other gear is not something that only the NHL has done. That would have solved their Russian problem. The move to ban them was a public relations disaster. In trying to straddle both sides of the issue, the league has satisfied no one.

The NHL stands alone among the Big 4 men's pro team sports with no out gay players, active or retired, in history. In fact, in the years since I wrote that article, it looks like the NHL has run for cover when confronted by the major social issues of the day.

You never know what the reaction is going to be inside hockey, outside hockey, because no one has done it before. In the year history of the NHL, there has never been a gay player who has come out — not even in retirement. Why do the objections of just a handful of players to sporting Pride jerseys trump the wish of most NHLers to wear them once a year?

If you need anything, let me know. The question this raises for many is why the NHL seems less willing than its players to embrace those skaters who are openly gay. Even so, ducking culture wars seems to be NHL policy now. Without a doubt, players refusing to wear the jerseys will suffer the wrath of many fans.

We strongly feel hockey is for everybody, and that includes the Pride nights. Even so, how can the NHL be tolerant of intolerance? Just over three years ago, I wrote a piece for The Hockey Writers that argued an inclusive NHL was waiting with open arms to welcome its first openly gay player.

Alluding to the handful of players who declined to wear Pride jerseys for religious reasons, Bettman seemed to suggest that the ban was put in place out of respect for religious freedom. Pleasing one side risks angering the other. I know in Edmonton, we were one of the first teams to use the Pride tape.

All of us are entitled to express our opinions, including those that many consider loathsome. You may recall that Prokop became the first openly gay player in the NHL when he came out in While he technically hasn't played an NHL game, he was under NHL contract with the Nashville Predators when he made his announcement on social media.

And as is their right, they may exact a price when you voice those views in word or deed. I look forward to sharing the ice with you someday. I did not expect the amount of support I got from NHL players. On Sunday, Prokop, 23, will serve as the Grand Marshal in Milwaukee’s Pride Parade, an event expected to draw thousands of people.

Surely the NHL could have made wearing the jerseys optional. Inhe became the first openly gay player under contract with an NHL team. Guys would accept it. But there is hope.