Quote Originally Posted by gbgary View Post
don't bring nationalism into it. how many openly gay hockey players are there in canada or anywhere else? it's a human prejudice issue, a male team-sports issue...not an american issue.
Not a lot of openly gay players, but the NHL and hockey generally have made a commitment to acceptance of gay players. Read about Brenden Burke, and the work of NHL executives including his father and brother backing the "You Can Play Project". Many top NHL players have gotten behind the project with videos and such.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...143441932.html


There is a strong effort in the NHL and both USA Hockey and Hockey Canada to change the culture on the ice and in the locker rooms to make it accepting of gay players, much of it being the work of the Burkes.

Interesting to contrast that with the inaction of the NFL, even though Paul Tagliabue has a son who has been openly gay since before his father became Commissioner. While Paul Tagliabue has been very active in gay rights after retiring from the NFL, he didn't push the issue while commissioner, as far as I know.