'NHL is ready for gay player,' says Patrick Burke

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When the NHL brought on You Can Play as an Marek Mazanec Authentic Jersey official partner in the spring of 2013, the hope was that the league's first openly gay player wasn't far behind.

Two and a half years later, we are still waiting.

"It's surprising," Patrick Burke, co-founder of You Can Play, said Tuesday. "We felt that the work the league was doing, the culture that the league had, the way our guys responded not just to our initiative, but to the LGBT community in general, I think we thought for sure by now there would be an out player in the NHL."

Burke paused before adding: "I don't want to Eric Staal Womens Jersey say it's disappointing because everyone is on their own timeline and when the first guy is ready he's going to do it."
If there was any remaining doubt about whether there were gay NHL players -- I don't know how anyone could even wonder that -- Burke said You Can Play has heard from gay players in the league.

"Look, we denied it for several years because we didn't want players to feel pressure, we didn't want to kick off a witch hunt, we didn't want people trying to guess who was who," said Burke. "But yes, our organization has spoken with gay players in the National Hockey League, gay staff members, gay media members.

"If we could coordinate everyone we know in professional sports, not just hockey, to come out all at once, it would be world-changing overnight. But for a variety of different reasons, there are men and women who still don't think it's the right decision for them to come out at this time."

I suppose if there are still homophobic Ryan McDonagh Authentic Jersey NHLers they're not going to come out and say so. All I can tell you is that in the dressing room of one of the NHL's most storied franchises, the captain of the team said it would be a non-issue.

"No issue at all, no issue at all," Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf repeated for emphasis Wednesday. "It would be welcomed and accepted with open arms in our room. That's how I feel, I would accept it."

That feeling was echoed down the hall http://www.authenticbruinsshop.com/authentic-46-david-krejci-jersey... in the visitors' dressing room at Air Canada Centre.
"We got a good group in here, I don't think anybody would have an issue with it," said Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd. "It makes zero difference to us whatever your sexual orientation is; that's their personal life. I really don't think in this day and age it would be much of an issue."