During the quiet of the springtime sports shutdowns, two well-known NHL players, Stanley Cup champion Dustin Penner and winger Brendan Leipsic, were caught posting horribly homophobic and misogynistic messages on social media.
Gay former hockey player Brock McGillis spoke to Outsports multiple times this year about the prevalence of homophobia in locker rooms. Hockey is in the midst of a cultural reckoning, with out and proud LGBTQ players leading the way. A slew of players came out, and with each announcement, showed gay people belong on the ice. Barriers were broken this year in the macho-fueled world of men’s ice hockey.
