Luke Prokop

Luke Prokop (born May 6, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played 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.

Playing career Prokop is from Edmonton, Alberta. 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. . 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. .

The Predators selected Prokop in the third round, with the 73rd overall selection, of the 2020 NHL entry draft. and spent the 2020–21 season with Calgary.

The Hitmen traded Prokop to the Edmonton Oil Kings on October 13, 2021. He opened the 2022–23 season with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL. On October 25, 2022, the Seattle Thunderbirds traded three conditional WHL draft picks to Edmonton for Prokop.

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. 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.

Prior to the 2026-27 season, Prokop signed with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, along with his brother Josh.

Personal life During his childhood, playing hockey was his main extracurricular focus. They both spent time playing with Calgary, before Luke was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings. His parents own a golf course in Edmonton, Alberta (where Prokop is from) where he frequently visits. On November 17, 2023, Prokop became the first openly gay player in the American Hockey League's history, by making his first appearance in a game as a player for the Milwaukee Admirals.

On June 29, 2026, a documentary about his life, career, and journey titled The Hockey Player was released in the United States and Canada. The success of fictional television show Heated Rivalry allowed The Hockey Player to be released. The documentary was struggling to attract and retain funding until funders saw an opportunity in the sudden popularity of LGBTQ+ players in ice hockey. At the time, he remained the only out professional men's ice hockey player in North America.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2017–18 Calgary Hitmen WHL 14 0 2 2 6 — — — — — 2018–19 Calgary Hitmen WHL 62 1 9 10 12 11 0 4 4 0 2019–20 Calgary Hitmen WHL 59 4 19 23 30 — — — — — 2020–21 Calgary Hitmen WHL 15 2 4 6 14 — — — — — 2021–22 Calgary Hitmen WHL 3 1 1 2 4 — — — — — 2021–22 Edmonton Oil Kings WHL 55 10 23 33 34 19 4 12 16 4 2022–23 Norfolk Admirals ECHL 8 1 0 1 6 — — — — — 2022–23 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 43 4 17 21 20 19 1 4 5 6 2023–24 Atlanta Gladiators ECHL 55 5 23 28 16 — — — — — 2023–24 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 9 0 2 2 6 — — — — — 2024–25 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 31 1 3 4 6 — — — — — 2025–26 Bakersfield Condors AHL 42 3 8 11 20 — — — — — AHL totals 82 4 13 17 32 — — — — —

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2018 Canada White U17 6th 5 0 1 1 0Junior totals 5 0 1 1 0

Awards and achievements Award Year RefWHL Ed Chynoweth Cup 2022, 2023