Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop has become the first active player under an NHL contract to come out as gay.

The 19-year-old defenseman announced the news on his Twitter account Monday morning, saying he is "no longer scared" to hide his identity.

"It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out," Prokop wrote. "I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams."

Prokop made the decision to come out right before his first pro camp. He was drafted by the Predators in the third round of the 2020 draft.

"I don’t want to have to walk into the gym or to the arena or just to practice, and keep thinking, ‘Who knows? Who doesn’t?’ This is who I am," Prokop told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

"I don’t think it’s going to be a big topic of conversation, that’s not what I want it to be. It’s just, ‘Hey, here’s who I am.’ It gets it off my chest. So I don’t have to worry and wonder about other people."

Prokop has received a flurry of supportive messages, including one from Predators general manager David Poile.

"We are committed to ensuring nothing stands in the way of his ability," Poile said in a statement. "His courage is an inspiration to us, and to the LGTBQ community in Nashville."

Prokop's news also drew an immediate response from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who called him on the phone.

"People, unless they can be their authentic true selves, can't be the best they can be," Bettman said, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "Anybody who is connected to the NHL, whether it's front office, whether it's coaching and player development, whether it's players, we want everybody to know that whoever you are, you have a place in our family."

Prokop has spent the last four seasons with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen. He started telling those close to him about his sexuality over the past year and says he noticed himself being "a lot more confident."

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