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Seattle Thunderbirds players throw support behind LGBTQ+ community, openly gay teammate after fans organize unofficial Pride Night

By Katie Adler

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March 24, 2023 7:04 pm

As some NHL teams struggle with their pride nights, the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds showed a heartwarming display of inclusion Wednesday night.

When the team didn’t organize an official pride event, Thunderbirds fans took it upon themselves to put together a ‘TBirds Fan Pride Night’ instead. Thunderbirds players decided to join in, using Pride Tape during warmups in support of out teammate Luke Prokop and the LGBTQ+ community at large.

Amidst a growing trend of backlash to pride events in the NHL, the Thunderbirds and their fans offer an inspiring message of equality to the wider hockey community.

The entire Thunderbirds roster participated in the pregame display. RMNB reader Michaela Gray, who attended the event, told us that Prokop, Jared Davidson, Kevin Korchinski, and goaltender Thomas Milic all kept Pride Tape on their sticks during the game.

Thunderbirds fans Rebecca Bower and @TBirdTidbits worked together to create the event once it became clear that the Thunderbirds organization would not hold a Pride Night.

“Having Luke [Prokop] on the team, combined with the NHL and what’s going on there, we thought, ‘Now’s the time. We can’t wait any more,'” Bower told the Seattle Times. “We need to make a big step and make it now. These other teams might not be making the correct steps, but we as fans can still make those steps.”

Bower recruited support from local organizations and Pride Tape. She also received approval from the Thunderbirds to use their logo, creating merchandise to sell at cost.

Once fans started planning the event, the team stepped up, giving their blessing to the organizers. In addition to players’ on-ice Pride Tape, the team showed rainbow graphics on the jumbotron.

Even the Thunderbirds mascot Cool Bird got involved, holding a small rainbow flag in the stands.

Though several other WHL teams organized official Pride Nights, the Thunderbirds declined to do so, despite having the first openly gay WHL player on their team. Many junior hockey teams lack the resources available to NHL franchises, offering a potential reason behind the decision.

Team president Colin Campbell declined to explain the specifics behind not holding a Pride event, but he and the organization put their support behind the fan initiative.

“I think there was a certain authenticity that came from it being the fan’s initiative,” Campbell said to the Seattle Times. “We will absolutely, 100% support doing it. Hockey is all-inclusive and for everyone.”

Bower received approval from the team before the event but was still pleasantly surprised to see players use Pride Tape on the ice.

“They didn’t have to,” she said. “It wasn’t an official thing, but they wanted to show their support for their community and for their teammate.”

Prokop, a 2020 third-round pick by the Nashville Predators, came out as gay in 2021, becoming the first player under NHL contract to do so. Earlier in the week, he spoke out against the backlash to Pride jerseys.

“I share the disappointment in what feels like a step back for inclusion in the NHL,” Prokop wrote in a statement.

“Pride nights and pride jerseys play an important role in promoting respect and inclusion for the LGBTQIA+ community, and it’s disheartening to see some teams no longer wearing them or not fully embracing their significance, while the focus of others has become about the players who aren’t participating rather than the meaning of the night itself.”

He added, “As someone who aspires to play on an NHL team one day, I would want to enter the locker room knowing I can share all parts of my identity with my teammates.”

What started as a local event for Thunderbirds fans went viral online, garnering attention from the wider hockey community. Gray’s tweet of warmups got over 2,000 retweets and 14,000 likes. LGBTQ+ hockey fans and allies saw the event as a positive force, especially after the backlash Pride events have seen at the NHL level.

“I think it’s important to share these good stories, too. This is awesome,” wrote B/R Open Ice’s Sara Civian, who is openly bisexual herself.

Pride events like TBirds Fan Pride Night help demonstrate to LGBTQ+ hockey fans and players that there is a place for them in the sport. Gray emphasized the effect of the event on her child Gabe, who is trans/nonbinary. Gabe spoke more about the game’s impact on Twitter.

“I feel celebrated, welcomed and loved, by the fans and players alike,” they wrote.

Gabe Neumann holds a Progress Flag at the Seattle Thunderbirds' Fan Pride Night. They are smiling.

Gabe Neumann at the Seattle Thunderbirds game. Photo credit: @GreyMichaela/Twitter

Ultimately, The Fan Pride Night proved a success, with a large turnout of support. And with a 6-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers, Thunderbirds fans had yet another reason to celebrate.

Headline photo: Michaela Gray/Twitter

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