{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 2002)}} {{distinguish|Luke Prokopec}} {{Use Canadian English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = Luke Prokop 2022.05.23.jpg | image_size = | caption = Prokop with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2022 | alt = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|5|6}} | birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 220 | position = Defence | shoots = Right | league = AHL | team = Bakersfield Condors | prospect_team = | prospect_league = | former_teams = Milwaukee Admirals | ntl_team = <!--Senior games only--> | draft = 73rd overall | draft_year = 2020 | draft_team = Nashville Predators | career_start = 2022 }} '''Luke Prokop''' (born May 6, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected by the Nashville Predators, 73rd overall, in the 2020 NHL entry draft. In 2021, Prokop came out as gay, becoming the first player under contract with an NHL team to do so.<ref name="espn">{{cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Emily |authorlink= Emily Kaplan |date=July 19, 2021 |title=Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop says he is gay, hopes living 'authentic life' helps NHL career |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31843069/nashville-predators-prospect-luke-prokop-says-gay-hopes-living-authentic-life-helps-nhl-career |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=ESPN}}</ref>
==Playing career== Prokop is from Edmonton, Alberta.<ref name=espn/> He became a fan of Shea Weber, a right-handed defenceman, when he watched Weber playing ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics for the Canadian men's national ice hockey team.<ref name="hockey news">{{Cite web |last=Larkin |first=Matt |date=2022-01-17 |title=Luke Prokop Q&A: the Before and After of Coming Out as Gay |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/luke-prokop-q-and-a-the-before-and-after-of-coming-out-as-gay |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=The Hockey News |language=en}}</ref><ref name="tennessean">{{Cite web |title=Luke Prokop closer than ever to Nashville Predators dream, 2 years after coming out as gay |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2023/07/07/luke-prokop-gay-nhl-player-nashville-predators/70385320007/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref> Prokop became a fan of Weber's team, the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL), and began wearing jersey number 6 in his honour.<ref name=weber/>
Prokop attended the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna, British Columbia, playing in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected Prokop with their first round selection, the seventh overall, of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 4, 2017 |title=Calgary Hitmen take defenceman Luke Prokop with seventh-overall pick in 2017 WHL bantam draft |url=https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-hitmen-take-defenceman-luke-prokop-with-seventh-overall-pick-in-2017-whl-bantam-draft |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=Calgary Herald}}</ref>. Prokop would spend one more season in the CSSHL with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) in Devon, Alberta. He played for Canada's national under-18 ice hockey team in the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships.<ref>{{cite web |author=Medina |first=Alex |date=November 15, 2018 |title=Captain Canada: Luke Prokop |url=https://hitmenhockey.com/article/captain-canada |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=Calgary Hitmen}}</ref>.
The Predators selected Prokop in the third round, with the 73rd overall selection, of the 2020 NHL entry draft.<ref>{{cite news |title= NHL Draft Selections |date= October 8, 2020 |work= Richmond Times-Dispatch |location= Richmond, Virginia |page= 5B }}</ref><ref name="tennessean"/> In December 2020, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Predators,<ref name="weber">{{cite web |last=Gilbertson |first=Wes |date=December 9, 2020 |title=Hitmen defenceman Luke Prokop signs first contract with Predators |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hitmen-defenceman-luke-prokop-signs-first-contract-with-predators |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=Calgary Sun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Predators Sign Luke Prokop to Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract |url=https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/predators-sign-luke-prokop-to-three-year-entry-level-contract/c-319779846 |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=NHL.com |date=December 9, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> and spent the 2020–21 season with Calgary.
The Hitmen traded Prokop to the Edmonton Oil Kings on October 13, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 13, 2021 |title=Predators prospect Prokop traded to Oil Kings |url=https://whl.ca/article/predators-prospect-prokop-traded-to-oil-kings |access-date=October 13, 2021 |website=Western Hockey League}}</ref> He opened the 2022–23 season with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/norfolk-admirals/vp-sp-norfolk-admirals-season-20221020-rmspxwdexbcr5oj4knlwynog7a-story.html |title=Norfolk Admirals aim for first winning season since 2014 |publisher=Pilotonline.com |date=2022-10-20 |accessdate=2023-01-20}}</ref> On October 25, 2022, the Seattle Thunderbirds traded three conditional WHL draft picks to Edmonton for Prokop.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/juniors/article/thunderbirds-acquire-luke-prokops-whl-rights-from-oil-kings/ |title=Thunderbirds acquire Luke Prokop's WHL rights from Oil Kings |publisher=Sportsnet.ca |date=2022-10-25 |accessdate=2023-01-20}}</ref>
Prokop began the 2023–24 season with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. He scored five points in nine games with the Gladiators before being called up to their AHL affiliate team, the Milwaukee Admirals. On November 17, 2023, he became the first openly gay individual to play in the American Hockey League, a significant milestone for LGBT player representation in men's professional hockey.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milwaukee Admirals’ Luke Prokop becomes first openly gay player to appear in AHL game |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5067133/2023/11/17/luke-prokop-ahl-gay-player-admirals/ |website=The Athletic |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=28 November 2023 |date=17 November 2023}}</ref> He went on to play the majority of the season in the ECHL, where he finished as Atlanta's top-scoring defenceman and 6th best overall with 28 points over 55 games.
In the 2024–25 season, Prokop appeared in 31 games with the Admirals and scored 4 points. At the conclusion of his entry-level contract with the Predators, Prokop was released as a free agent. On August 11, 2025, he was signed to a one-year contract with the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, for the 2025-26 season.<ref>{{citeweb| url = https://www.bakersfieldcondors.com/news/condors-sign-four-to-ahl-deals-3/ | title = Condors sign four to AHL deals | publisher = Bakersfield Condors | date = August 11, 2025 | accessdate = August 11, 2025 }}</ref>
==Personal life== During his childhood, playing hockey was his main extracurricular focus.<ref name="hockey news"/> At 12–13 years old, he started to realize that he was a "good hockey player" and decided he wanted to make a career out of it.<ref name="hockey news"/> His older brother, Josh, is also an ice hockey player. The Calgary Hitmen signed Josh in September 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title= Silvertips notebook: Everett practicing in Bellingham – The team heads up north this week due to a scheduling conflict at Angel of the Winds Arena|date= September 26, 2018 | work= The Daily Herald |location= Everett, Washington }}</ref> They both spent time playing with Calgary, before Luke was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings.<ref>{{cite web |author=Medina |first=Alex |date=January 22, 2019 |title=Super Prokop Bros. |url=https://hitmenhockey.com/article/super-prokop-bros |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=Calgary Hitmen}}</ref> His parents own a golf course in Edmonton, Alberta (where Prokop is from) where he frequently visits.<ref name="tennessean"/>
On July 19, 2021, Prokop came out as gay, becoming the first player under contract with an NHL team to do so.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hernandez |first=Joe |date=2021-07-19 |title=NHL Prospect Luke Prokop Makes History As League's First Gay Player |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/07/19/1017915128/luke-prokop-becomes-the-first-nhl-player-under-contract-to-come-out-as-gay |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=NPR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Prokop reflects on year since coming out as gay |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/luke-prokop-reflects-on-year-since-coming-out-as-gay/c-334995092 |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=NHL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" style="background:#fff;"| ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- style="text-align:center;" | 2017–18 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 14 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 6 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2018–19 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 62 || 1 || 9 || 10 || 12 | 11 || 0 || 4 || 4 || 0 |- style="text-align:center;" | 2019–20 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 59 || 4 || 19 || 23 || 30 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2020–21 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 15 || 2 || 4 || 6 || 14 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; | 2021–22 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 3 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 4 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2021–22 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 55 || 10 || 23 || 33 || 34 | 19 || 4 || 12 || 16 || 4 |- style="text-align:center;" | 2022–23 | Norfolk Admirals | ECHL | 8 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 6 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2022–23 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 43 || 4 || 17 || 21 || 20 | 19 || 1 || 4 || 5 || 6 |- style="text-align:center;" | 2023–24 | Atlanta Gladiators | ECHL | 55 || 5 || 23 || 28 || 16 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2023–24 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 9 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 6 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center;" | 2024–25 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 31 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 6 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2025–26 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 42 || 3 || 8 || 11 || 20 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" | AHL totals ! 82 !! 4 !! 13 !! 17 !! 32 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2018 | Canada White | U17 | 6th | 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="4" |Junior totals ! 5 !! 0 !! 1 !! 1 !! 0 |}
==Awards and achievements== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! Ref |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4" |WHL |- | Ed Chynoweth Cup | 2022, 2023 | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://whl.ca/article/oil-kings-capture-ed-chynoweth-cup-with-shutout-victory-in-game-6-of-2022-whl-championship |title=Oil Kings capture Ed Chynoweth Cup with shutout victory in Game 6 of 2022 WHL Championship |website=whl.ca |date=June 14, 2022 |access-date=October 23, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://whl.ca/article/thunderbirds-claim-ed-chynoweth-cup-with-game-5-victory-in-2023-whl-championship-series-presented-by-nutrien |title=Thunderbirds claim Ed Chynoweth Cup with Game 5 victory in 2023 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien |website=whl.ca |date=May 20, 2023 |access-date=May 21, 2023}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Ice hockey stats|elite=201923|hockeydb=211141}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prokop, Luke}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Atlanta Gladiators players Category:Bakersfield Condors players Category:Calgary Hitmen players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Canadian gay sportsmen Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Edmonton Oil Kings players Category:Ice hockey people from Alberta Category:Ice hockey people from Edmonton Category:LGBTQ ice hockey players Category:Milwaukee Admirals players Category:Nashville Predators draft picks Category:Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) players Category:Seattle Thunderbirds players