Tag: Seattle Kraken

The day Luke Prokop shook the hockey world by coming out, he needed to get away.And stop looking at his constantly buzzing phone.It was July 21, 2021, and the right-shot defenseman had just become the first openly gay hockey player under an NHL contract. The Nashville Predators’ No. 73 pick in the 2020 draft was just 19 years old and hadn’t even turned pro yet. He didn’t know how it would impact his future. His nerves were fried.But one text message was impossible to ignore. He didn’t recognize the number but certainly knew the name.“Hey, it’s Auston Matthews. I wanted to congratulate you. I look forward to sharing the ice with you someday.”Prokop was blown away. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar wasn’t the most famous person to reach out — that honor goes to Elton John — but the fact tha...