“That was life-changing for me,” Cothren said. She vividly remembers when Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell appeared in a one of You Can Play’s original videos. While there are no out NHL players, even the act of publicly supporting the LGBTQ community goes a long way, Cothren said. But he has the LGBTQ community behind him, waiting for the day he plays his first NHL game and makes more history. A third-round pick of Nashville in the 2020 draft, the 19-year-old defenseman is still playing in juniors. On July 19, 2021, Luke Prokop became the first player on an NHL contract to come out as gay. There’s also still a level of machismo that’s associated with the sport and is in contrast to the stereotype that gay men are flamboyant.
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There’s always the worry that if the team starts to do poorly, people will somehow try to trace it back to the player who came out, Cothren said. Hockey is so reliant on every player on the roster, and it’s intimidating for some to stand out in any way. “There’s never been an active player, but there’s not even a retired player.”Ĭothren attributes that to the team mentality of the sport. “I think it says a lot about hockey that there hadn’t even been a retired player that had come out before that,” Cothren said of Brendan Burke. And then there’s the lack of representation. Insensitive language around the sport, whether it’s in the locker room or in the stands, still acts as a deterrent for some hockey players who may want to come out. There are now 12 partners including the NFL, NASCAR, and Major League Soccer.ĭespite the early involvement, Cothren said there’s still a way to go.
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You Can Play’s connections to the league led to the NHL becoming one of the first professional leagues to partner with the foundation. (Their father Brian was a longtime NHL general manager, Patrick is a scout, and Brendan was a high school goalie and college manager before dying in an auto accident at 21.) It was started by Patrick Burke, whose late brother Brendan was considered to be the first out athlete with a tie to the NHL. Since graduating with an education degree, Cothren has gotten involved through the Ed Snider Foundation as well as the You Can Play Project, for which she is co-chair of the Northeast Regional Board.
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“Getting to see kids like Juls be themselves at very early ages and be fully embraced by their teammates and have the experience of being their full selves on the ice, off the ice, with their teammates, it’s why I do what I do,” Cothren said. Knowing that, she has dedicated herself to helping young athletes feel comfortable in their own skin. But she will never get back the chance to play with her high school team as her full self. She went into Smith College completely open about her sexuality and had a wonderful experience.
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When Cothren finally came out to her teams, she was fully accepted.