The National Hockey League and the Players’ Association have partnered with You Can Play, an advocacy organization fighting homophobia in sports.
It’s a simple message, but not one that 24-year-old Luc Goodbrandson believed when he quit hockey six years ago while playing defense for the Selkirk Fishermen.
Goodbranson is a gay athlete, but didn’t feel comfortable coming out to his team. He is one of the many reasons the project was started last year.
“Being a closeted gay athlete is tough,” Goodbranson told Global News from his current home in Montreal. “I never felt comfortable enough, and (wondered) what guys would think in the dressing room or what guys would say. And I didn’t want to upset the environment.”
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You Can Play was founded by Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke in memory of his younger brother Brendan, who died in a car accident in 2010. Three years earlier he had revealed his homosexuality to his family, including his father former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke.
The organization already had plenty of support from some big sports stars, but Chad Smith the executive director of Winnipeg’s Rainbow Resource Centre says having the NHL as an official partner is huge.
“It’s a real macho sport and when we think of NHL players we think of the enforcers. The fact that their saying you can be a gay hockey player that homophobia has no place in the NHL, or in sports they’re breaking down a huge stereotype.”
You Can Play will conduct seminars at the NHL’s rookie symposium and make its resources available to each team in the league. Officials say this move formalizes the NHL’s commitment to making it the most inclusive professional sports league in the world.
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