Image credit: Marissa Baecker Updated July 19, 2021 at 2:26 PM ET Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop has come out as gay, becoming the first active player under contract to an NHL team to do so. “It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out,” Prokop, 19, said in an Instagram post. “From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams,” he added.