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annieqattheperipheral · 5 months

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you have to read this in full!!

i gotchu from behind the $wall:

The day Luke Prokop shook the hockey world by coming out, he needed to get away.

And stop looking at his constantly buzzing phone.

It was July 21, 2021, and the right-shot defenseman had just become the first openly gay hockey player under an NHL contract. The Nashville Predators’ No. 73 pick in the 2020 draft was just 19 years old and hadn’t even turned pro yet. He didn’t know how it would impact his future. His nerves were fried.

But one text message was impossible to ignore. He didn’t recognize the number but certainly knew the name.

“Hey, it’s Auston Matthews. I wanted to congratulate you. I look forward to sharing the ice with you someday.”

Prokop was blown away. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar wasn’t the most famous person to reach out — that honor goes to Elton John — but the fact that so many NHLers, including one of the league’s best and most powerful players, were offering support meant a lot.

Now 21, Prokop still hasn’t taken the NHL ice, but on Wednesday he took a step forward, being recalled by the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. He could become the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game Friday night for the Admirals in Rockford.

As difficult as the decision to come out was, Prokop told The Athletic in an extended conversation recently that he’s been mentally and physically freed by it. He doesn’t have to hide. He can be himself, on and off the ice. Heck, he can even date.

“It’s been massive,” he said.

Teammates and fans have welcomed him in his journey toward the NHL so far, from Calgary, Edmonton and Seattle of the junior WHL to, most recently, Atlanta of the ECHL. They treated him like he was any other player.

Not that there’s not room to grow. Prokop figured more players would come out after he did. They haven’t, not that he would rush anyone’s decision on that. He’s also been disappointed by the developments over the past few years with the NHL’s inclusion efforts, including the Pride tape “debacle.”

He can only control his own actions, though, and doesn’t regret his decision.

“I’d like to think I’m a realistic person,” Prokop said. “I know hockey is not going to be forever. As much as (when I came out) I would have loved to keep playing, I was OK with not playing any more if it didn’t work out — just being able to live my life the way I wanted, to be myself.

“But now, I don’t want to stop playing. It was definitely nerve-wracking. You never know what the reaction is going to be inside hockey, outside hockey, because no one has done it before. We kind of went out on a limb and hoped for the best. It’s been way more positive than we thought it’d be. You’re going to have some keyboard warriors, which there were a few, but I was expecting more.

“I did not expect the amount of support I got from NHL players. That was really cool.”

- - - - - - -

The Matthews text and Elton John phone call the morning after were memorable, with the gay rock legend welcoming him to the community and offering his email address if Prokop ever needed anything.

Prokop found even more comfort in a moment that came a few days later — the first time he played hockey since his announcement. It was a four-on-four league in Edmonton at Meadows Rec Center, a place where pros and NHLers competed and kept in shape during the offseason.

Prokop was on a team with Colton and Kirby Dach. The other team had Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart and the Boston Bruins’ Jake DeBrusk. During warmups, Prokop found himself near mid-ice. The first guy to approach him was DeBrusk. The two had met previously through mutual friends. DeBrusk tapped Prokop’s shin pads with his stick.

“Congrats,” he told him. “I’m really happy for you. If you need anything, let me know.”

“I didn’t know what the reaction would be,” Prokop said. “So that meant a lot.”

Prokop was returning that year to the Calgary Hitmen (WHL), the junior team he had played for the previous four seasons. But there had been a lot of turnover on the roster and, of course, a lot had changed for Prokop. So he decided to address the team in its first meeting in training camp.

“Everyone knows what I did last summer,” he told his team. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. There might be a lot of media asking you for an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to do them. If you have any questions for me, come ask me. I’m an open book. I just don’t want you guys to feel uncomfortable.”

In that dressing room, Prokop had heard plenty of the uncomfortable language that’s not uncommon for any locker room. He even admitted using it. He didn’t want to out himself. He wanted to act straight, be “one of the guys.”

“I heard it, but it wasn’t all the time,” he said. “I also took it from the perspective that these guys don’t know any better. It’s hockey language. It’s how guys talk. They don’t mean it in a harmful way. They use the word ‘gay’ as a filler at the end of a sentence to make something stupid. ‘Well, that’s so gay.’ I wasn’t comfortable with it, but I used it myself. I didn’t want to seem like I was out of the mix.

“Some guys texted me (after I came out), ‘F—, sorry if I said anything to offend you when we played.’ I’d just say, ‘Guys, you had no idea.’ The lesson is you don’t know what everyone is going through. The words you say do matter. Make sure you think before you speak. It’s a silly rule you learn in kindergarten. It applies to life when you’re 22 or 35 and never goes away.

“The way hockey is going with the language, guys are naturally changing their language. I’ve heard a change in language on every team I’ve been on.”

Prokop said that season was the best of his career, both from a production standpoint and a personal one. He was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings early in the season and had 10 goals and 33 points in 55 games for them, helping them win the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup and advance to the Memorial Cup.

Luke Prokop won the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Oil Kings in 2022. (Courtesy of Oilers Entertainment Group)

Luke Pierce, then an assistant coach for Edmonton and now the head coach, said the staff and management had discussions with the leadership group before acquiring Prokop — making sure they were comfortable with it, feeling out whether their room could handle the attention. Pierce said he asked one of the captains, Blues prospect Jake Neighbours, for his perspective. Neighbours had known Prokop since they were 10 or 11, growing up playing in spring tournaments together. He told Pierce and the staff there would be “zero issue” and he’d be a great addition.

Neighbours said nothing really changed, that Prokop “fit right in” to the team. Pierce at first wondered if players would have any issue with rooming assignments on the road, but nobody blinked. Pierce noted that Prokop would joke about situations and even opened up about his boyfriend coming to visit.

“He put everybody at ease,” Pierce said. “I often tell people, if the outside world could see how the group of men interacted, it would be just a tremendous inspiration on how we should treat everybody.”

Pierce and Prokop pointed out how this generation is more comfortable and equipped to handle LGBTQ+ inclusion issues. Everyone seems to know someone, be friends with someone, or be related to someone in the community.

“I just don’t think guys really care anymore,” Prokop said. “They might be nervous as they have this stereotype version of what a gay guy might look like, sound like, act like. Like me, coming to a team, they think I’ll act a certain way, look a certain way, but they’ll realize three minutes into talking to me that I’m not that.

“Hockey is part of me. It’s who I am. Guys totally forget (about me being gay) when I’m at the rink. They’re not afraid to ask questions. But other than that, it never really comes up. That’s how I wanted it to be. I wanted them to know, but we can all go out and play. I never wanted to be a distraction.”

- - - - - - -

The NHL’s decisions around Pride jerseys and stick tape weren’t a distraction, Prokop said, but he has gotten frustrated about it.

He understood the issue over wearing sweaters during warmups — “jerseys weren’t really their choice” — but lamented that the fact the focus was on the handful of players who refused to wear them and not all the others who did. The NHL’s initial banning of Pride stick tape, then its reversal, was a whole other topic.

“To take away choices from players was really confusing,” Prokop said. “Some of them don’t really care. For some, it was near and dear to their heart. To take it away was mind-boggling. From the players’ side, the support was there. Zach Hyman talked about it, Travis Dermott. I like what they did. They didn’t make a big deal about it before — they just did it. Let fans see the rest, and it’ll take care of itself. There’s a massive amount of support from players in the NHL.”

What do the Pride tape and sweaters mean for someone in the LGBTQ+ community?

Prokop didn’t recall noticing them growing up going to Oilers games. He never got to see someone who was gay using Pride tape on the TV screen. He had to deal with it himself — “jump over those barriers without any help.” But Prokop continued pursuing his hockey career whereas “a lot of people don’t feel comfortable pursuing their career without that exposure, without feeling like they’re being seen.”

“I think with the Pride tape stuff, they were trying to show support for their older fans,” Prokop said of the NHL. “The fans that have been watching hockey for 40-50 years. That’s not how you grow the game. You want to get the younger generation, put these guys in the best situation to promote the game. Sometimes I don’t think the NHL does that the correct way. The Pride tape is one example.”

Prokop has been part of two Pride nights since he came out, one with the Edmonton Oil Kings and another with Seattle. The Oil Kings staff approached him after not having that event on their promotional calendar. They planned it in two weeks and it was a big hit, with around 8,000 fans in attendance.

“Some guys told me it was the most impactful game they’d been in during their career,” Prokop said. “They said they didn’t realize how many Queer fans they had. I don’t think they realize how much my community watches hockey, plays hockey and cares about hockey.

The Seattle Pride night was fan-driven, which made it unique. Thunderbirds fans noticed that other rival teams had a special night for Pride and made a push for their own, making bracelets and T-shirts. Prokop told teammates they didn’t have to wear the stick tape — he knows how superstitious hockey players are. They all wore some, for him.

“I always look at the perspective, the other side of Pride nights — why do you have them if no one on the team is gay?” Prokop said. “The point is that it’s for the fans. For me, it means a lot to play in them to show my community and be a representative on the ice.”

While education is important, Prokop said any real change in the NHL when it comes to inclusion will start with other players coming out. He’s not putting any timeline or pressure on that. He didn’t have one. But that’s when players in the league will see a different perspective, get more comfortable with it.

“Otherwise, it’s always going to be a story,” Prokop said. “I also can see why guys don’t want to come out. Especially in the NHL. They’ve been very successful, so why change? I kind of saw that from the perspective when the whole Pride jersey story came out. My phone was blowing up. I don’t think guys want to have to deal with that. There was a responsibility for me to talk about these topics. I don’t think guys want to do that. I can see it from that side, why they don’t want to come out.

“I don’t think anything is going to change unless someone else does. Someone else will step up. It’s only a matter of time. I thought there’d maybe be two, three of us by now. But it hasn’t happened. But I know there’s going to be someone else soon. It’s math. There’s what, 700 players in the league? There’s definitely a few more.”

- - - - - - -

While there have been some derogatory comments coming from the stands on a few occasions, Prokop has been encouraged there have been none from opposing players.

“Zero,” he said.

Most of the feedback he’s received, even on social media, has been positive. And it’s not just the comments like Matthews’ that stick with him. Two high schoolers in Seattle, Kaitlin and Jo, reached out to him over Instagram. They are part of the LGBTQ+ community and were struggling.

“Like everyone, they just wanted someone to talk to,” Prokop said.

Part of Prokop’s pregame routine is usually to hang by the bench and listen to music. On many occasions, Kaitlin and Jo would come by and the three of them would just chat for 10, 12 minutes. They’re the fans that Prokop saw every game above the tunnel on his way to the dressing room. They’ve stayed in touch. Prokop even did a Zoom meeting with their high school class last month. “They have a special place in my heart,” he said.

When, and if, Prokop makes his NHL debut, he says he’ll have a special secret plan for them.

Whether Prokop lives his NHL dream remains to be seen. He’s praised the Predators for their support from the first time he did a group video call with the staff. Former NHLer Mark Borowiecki, now a development coach, has been someone Prokop has leaned on often, not only for on-ice advice but for help getting through things mentally.

Scott Nichol, the Predators’ assistant GM, likes Prokop’s potential.

“Big right-shot defensemen that can skate, move the puck. They don’t grow on trees,” he said. “He just needs to polish up his game in some areas in the defensive zone. He’s got the tools. He’s got the skating ability. It’s just patience and embrace the process.”

Prokop is grateful for his support group, from his parents, Al and Nicole, to his brother, Josh, and sister, Alanna. He’s kept in touch with Heather Lefebvre, who is a specialist in hockey engagement and alumni relations with the Oilers Entertainment Group. They talk almost every day. What sticks out to Lefebvre is how young Prokop was when he came out (19), and while he wears this “trailblazer” cap, he’s still standing alone.

“I think this generation is more ready for it than past generations, for sure,” Lefebvre said. “It says a lot to me that nobody else has come out in the year and a half since he has. He’s the only openly gay player under NHL contract, but he’s not the only gay player under NHL contract.

“That’s where I think we have work to do. Is it great that he’s been accepted and can do his thing? Yes. But he looks at the positives, which makes me really happy for him. But that doesn’t mean there’s no negative.”

Prokop takes the positives in his off-ice life, too. He lives with Alanna in the offseason back home in Edmonton. He’s found teammates to share in his hobbies, like golf (he plays 40 to 50 rounds a year). He loves to read, from biographies to sci-fi. He watches basketball more than hockey and has more than 25 jerseys. He cooks. He got into puzzles during the pandemic and is bullish about doing them on his own.

Prokop also feels comfortable getting out there on the dating scene and not having to hide it from teammates.

“Obviously, the lifestyle of a hockey player is tough for some people,” he said. “I’m trying to find the right person to connect with. I’m a softie, a romantic guy. I love love. I’m always on the lookout for that right person to spend the rest of my life with.”

Prokop doesn’t see the label of being the first openly gay player under NHL contract as a weight. It’s more of a responsibility. He has a platform and wants to use it. He’s realistic, “dreaming about winning the community service award more than the Norris Trophy.”

Making the AHL jump or someday the NHL jump won’t define him.

“One of my main goals when I came out is that if I could have an impact on one person outside of my family and friends in my lifetime, I’ve done my job,” he said. “I think I’ve done that and more. And I want to continue to do that.”

#luke prokop #auston matthews #jake debrusk #elton john #nashville predators #milwaukee admirals #atlanta gladiators #toronto maple leafs #boston bruins #jake neighbours #st louis blues #edmonton oil kings #calgary hitmen #lgbtq #pride jerseys #pride tape #nhl garbage league

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hitmanhartiswaseverwillbe · 1 year

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Bret has his name raised to the rafters as a Forever Hitmen at the Saddledome during a Calgary Hitmen game on March 11, 2023

#bret hart #bret the hitman hart #wrestling #professional wrestling #pro wrestling #wwf #world wrestling federation #vintage wrestling #wwe #world wrestling entertainment #90s wrestling #wrestler #pro wrestler #bret hitman hart #Calgary Hitmen #hockey #Canada

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aureliabedelia · 2 years

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Luke Prokop

Part 1

I've started a series drawing hockey players who break boundaries and inspire. I'm new to digital art, so this has been a fun way to learn.

Luke Prokop is a defenseman for the AHL team the Edmonton Oil Kings. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2020, and in 2021 he became the first player contracted with the NHL to come out as gay.

(Apologies for low image quality! If anyone has tips on the best file format to use on Tumblr please let me know.)

[ID: a digital drawing of hockey player Luke Prokop, a man with pale white skin and blue eyes. He is shown from the chest up, sitting on the bench and wearing a Calgary Hitmen jersey. He is smiling with a red mouth guard sticking out of his mouth. / End ID].

#luke prokop #hockey #nhl #nashville predators #edmonton oil kings #calgary hitmen #lgbtq

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fromthe-point · 2 years

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The Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club has signed defenceman Reese Hamilton to a WHL Standard Player Agreement.

#hockey #chl #whl #calgary hitmen #reese hamilton #s:commitment #220524

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blowflyfag · 6 months

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WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION MAGAZINE : JANUARY 1996

THE WRITER, THE OWNER, THE COWBOY, AND THE HITMAN

Athlete, Actor, Entrepreneur & Columnist, Hart Has It All Goin’ On

By Keith Elliot Greenberg

The beard itched and made Bret Hart uncomfortable in front of his fans. “I don’t know about this,” he said about the stubble on his face as a doctor checked his blood pressure in the dressing room prior to a match with Isaac Yankem D.D.S. at New York Madison Square Garden. “You sure you want to run a picture of me with the beard? I mean, people might get the wrong idea.” Bret’s main concern was that his followers would think he was trying to change his image. In reality, he was simply slated to play a bearded character in the television western Lonesome Dove. “I want to make someone clear,” he stressed. “I’m not going for a new look–I’m the same guy. Plus, my 7-year-old daughter won't kiss me as long as I have this beard. So as soon as I’m finished with Lonesome Dove, it’s coming off. I just want to be me again.”

[Bret the Writer : Bret, the artist and writer, has a weekly column that is published in his hometown paper the Calgary Sun]

That’s a difficult challenge for Hart. As one of the Federation’s most sought-after personalities, he must divide–and then subdivide–his time. THe morning of our Madison Square Garden conversation, he attended a benefit for disabled youngsters. The night before, he wrestled in Boston. His schedule for the next few days was dizzying: A morning autograph session in Washington, D.C., followed by an afternoon match in Providence, Rhode Island, On Saturday–the same day his weekly column was published in his hometown paper, the Calgary Sun, accompanied by a Hart-illustrated cartoon. Then there was Lonesome Dove on Tuesday. On Monday, Thanksgiving in his native Canada, Bret combined business with pleasure. He and his family were going to watch the Calgary Hitmen, the junior hockey team he co owns.

[Bret the Owner : Bret has been playing hockey since he could barely walk. Today he skates with pride as part owner of the Calgary Hitmen.]

Two days after our conversation in New York, Bret and I hooked up again in Calgary at the Hitman’s office. Trying to make the most of his time in his hometown, Bret brought along his sons Dallas, 11, and Blade, 5. I talked to Bret about watching wrestling as a kid with my father and grandfather and noted how a night at the matches drew the family together. The Hit Man thought about my statement and seemed a little sad. While other families were growing close, cheering him on night after night, he was often far away from his own children.

As we chatted, a family walked into the office to purchase tickets for the day’s hockey game. As they evaluated the location of their seats, they spotted the two-time Federation Champion standing in the lobby with his sons. Each member of the family jumped back in disbelief. Bret responded with a smile and handshakes for everyone.

Two other sports celebrities, hockey players Theoren Fleury of the Calgary Flames and Joe Salic of the Colorado Avalanche, are shareholders in the team, but the Hitman takes its name—and much of its inspiration—from the World Wrestling Federation superstar.

“When Bret shows up at a press conference, we get double the media,” said Assistant General Manager Rusty James. “He adds an emotional element to the games. When he went on TV before we played the Red Deer Rebels and promised to run them out of town, it fired up the whole city of Calgary.” Incidentally, the Hitmen won that game 7-1.

The Hitmen are in their inaugural season in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Most of the players on this level are between 16 and 20 years old, and all have put everything else on hold for a chance to be recruited into the National Hockey League (NHL). The pressure is enormous, and the pace is hard; but in last year’s NHL draft, 55 WHL players were chosen.

Like most Canadians, Bret has been playing hockey since he could walk. His father, legendary Calgary promoter and wrestler Stu Hart, owned a resort in Clearwater Beach, Alberta, and when the lake would freeze up, all 12 Hart children—boys and girls—would choose up sides and go at it on the ice. “If someone had told me at the time that one day I’d own a hockey team named after me, it would have seemed quite unbelievable,” the Hit Man says.

Two years ago, Hart was chosen to drop the puck before a game between two Saskatchewan teams, the Regina Pats and the Saskatoon Blades, with the proceeds going to lupus research. “There was something about that experience I can’t explain,” Bret says. “I guess something from my childhood came out. You know, I grew up watching the WHL because we didn’t have an NHL team in Calgary, I wanted to get involved.”

At the Corral—an arena on the Calgary Stampede fairgrounds where he once broke a record for selling wrestling programs (1,000 in one night)—Bret met up with his wife, Julie, daughters Jade, 12, and Alexandra—better known as “Beans”—7, and a niece, Annie, 10. Players were jogging around the circular building, while hockey stickers were being prepared and blades sharpened.

On the way into the Corral, Bret was stopped by a radio reporter from Regina, birthplace of Julie Hart and home of the Hitmen’s opponents, the Pats. Bret answered every question, even though his mind was on other matters. Afterward, he asked the reporter if the interview was up to par and whether they should do it again.

“Don’t worry about it,” the journalist answered, surprised by Bret’s perfectionism. “You were great.”

Now it was time to have some fun. Hart suited up in the locker room and clowned around with such Calgary players as Mike Piersol, the 20-year-old left defenseman from Arlington Heights, Illinois–the only American on the team; Ukrainian right wing Boris Protsenko, 17; and Rod Branch, the 20-year-old goalie from Fort St. John, British Columbia. When he passed the locker of “Sugar Ray'' Schultz, 20, the Edmonton-bred right defenseman who’d later get into a scuffle on the ice, Bret joked, “He could probably teach me how to throw cheap shots.”

Some 3,800 fans turned out for the game–an incredible crowd for the WHL on a holiday afternoon–but the Pats would come out on top. Nonetheless, the Hitmen waged the same type of noble battle Bret was known for during his early days in the ring.

Schultz actually drew a parallel between the team and the man called the “Excellence of Execution”: “We’re not a big, bruising team. We’re a finesse skating team. We care more about skill than acting like meatheads.”

[Bret the Cowboy : Luther Root, alias Bret Hart, seems to be making Curtis Wells another home as he rides high in the saddle on “Lonesome Dove.”]

This is the same ethic Bret brings to his acting career. “All athletes talk about going into movies and television,” he said later as we sat in his trailer in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, waiting for the director to call him for his scene in Lonesome Dove. “But how many are really good at it? I just didn’t want to do this for the money. I wanted to give my heart to it.”

Last year, Lonesome Dove watchers met Bret’s character Luther Root, a mountain man in the town of Curtis Wells in Montana Territory 115 years ago. This year, Luther returns for several episodes. The discovery of copper has changed the town forever. Workers and desperadoes have flooded into Curtis Wells. The roughshod Luther Root no longer lives in the wilderness. Now he has a job riding shotgun on the stagecoach and regularly interacts with onetime bounty hunter Newt Call (played by Scott Bairstow), former Confederate Colonel Clay Mosby (Eric McCormack) and the passionate Amanda Carpenter (Tracy Scoggins). According to Lonesome Dove’s promotional material, Luther is “as quick with a joke as he is with a gun–a good man to have on your side.”

“I find my character easier to play each time,” Bret said. “Last year, he was a snarly, unfriendly trapper, but now he’s learning to have fun.”

The show has particular significance for Bret, since part of his father’s family lived the life of the characters as pioneers in Dakota Territory. In the cowboy city of Calgary–where the yearly Stampede draws spectators from all over the world to rodeo events–young Bret read western fiction and history fantasized about meeting such legendary figures as Davey Crockett and Jesse James.

While the Hit Man relaxed in the “circus,” a collection of trailers and motorhomes serving as the cast and crew’s headquarters, I took a tour of Curtis Wells with photographer Chris Large and assistant Matt Paler. This is one of the most extensive western towns in Tv history, with about 70 houses and buildings stocked with a million dollars’ worth of antiques from the Old West: 25 cast iron stoves, 100 oil lamps, enough tables and chairs to seat 150 people in the saloon, 20 beds, a functioning blacksmith shop and a newspaper with a working press. None of the buildings are heated. As it gets cold in this part of Canada in the fall, some actors have had to suck on ice cubes before scenes so their breath wasn’t visible on camera.

Bret fit right in. He has an iron-clad memory and rarely forgets a line. Plus, his years with the Federation have made him comfortable in front of the lens. “For someone without acting experience, he’s done a great job,” Palmer said. “He’s not just an athlete getting a role because of his name. He definitely has some natural talent there.”

Bret found out about Lonesome Dove through his friend Mitch Ackerman, a vice president at Disney. When Ackerman discovered the show was being filmed near Calgary, he put him in touch with producer Steven North. “I went for one interview,” Bret remembered. “I thought they’d say, ‘See you later,’ but three days later they called to say, ‘We wrote in a part for you.’”

On the day I visited the set, Luther Rott was engaged in a tense exchange with Sheriff Austin Peale (Paul Johansson). Although Luther is a man of few words, every sentence from Bret’s mouth had its desired effect. It was easy to understand how–after just two appearances on the show last year–Bret’s name was submitted for a Gemini Award–or Canadian Emmy–for Best Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series.

[Bret the Hitman : Writer, owner, actor, wrestler–Bret may be the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.]

“It’s great to get this kind of recognition,” he said. “It’s also tough being busy with so many different things at once, but I believe in doing the most you can while you have the opportunity. When this all ends, I want to be remembered as a guy who made as many inroads as possible.”

#sorry about the somewhat messy scans I don't know why but this magazine wouldn't want to be pictured.#bret the hitman heart #bret hart #bred #wwf #wwf magazine scan #wwf magazine #magazine scan #magazine transcript

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84reedsy · 19 days

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Ooh can i get a little something with Bret Hart using prompts 10 "I can't help but have naughty thoughts when you when look like that." and prompt 28 "I love seeing you so flustered." please

For some reason, you’d assumed a hockey arena wouldn’t be this cold. It was a lapse in logic, but since it was also a date with Bret, you focused more on wearing something that you knew would make him look. Short skirts always got his attention before he asked you out and had always helped you get your way since. "I can't help but have naughty thoughts when you look like that." Bret looked you over when he’d picked you up. You loved the way his eyes traveled over you and the way he licked his lips. Being objectified by him turned you on in return.

You sat in the front row, Bret beside you, squealing and curling up against him with the large, fast moving men slamming into the glass in front of you. The action was thrilling and had your attention, but you shivered often from the cool air on your bare legs. As distracted as you were by the Calgary Hitmen on the ice, Bret was focused on something other than the game.

He held your hand, but his eyes traveled up your thighs. He wished he’d booked a suite instead - they’d offer far more privacy for what he would like to do to you. Crossing and uncrossing and shaking your legs to keep yourself warm was only drawing more of his attention. He let go of your hand as you went to tuck your hair behind your ear. He took the opportunity, sliding his hand over your thigh.

Your breath caught in your chest as his finger curled around, grazing the inner sensitive skin. You bit the tip of your tongue when his hand slid up higher. His gaze was on the game, but his mind was on what lay under that short, short skirt.

Your eyes were no longer forward, glancing downward to see his large hand slipping farther and farther under the hem. You no longer felt the chill of the arena, but the flush of arousal and the wonder of who might see. Bret leans over, murmuring into your ear.

"I love seeing you so flustered." You can hear the smugness in his voice, the unfailing confidence. But you have no argument because you know he’s got you right where he wants you. You finally let out a shaky breath when his fingertips graze over the front of your panties. You wondered why you’d ever bothered putting those on in the first place.

#Reedsy answers asks #Bret Hart #wrestling fan fiction #wrestling #writing prompts #Fight me if you think Bret Hart wouldn't take you on a date to a hockey game #Thanks anon!

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hockeykindofsucks · 2 years

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rape/sa tw

you’ve likely already heard about the recent lawsuit filed by an anonymous girl against the chl, hockey canada, and eight men whose names have not been released; if not, you can read about it here. i’ve seen a list of the 2018 team canada roster floating around with a lot of people worried that some of the big names on it might have been involved in the incident. i’ve done some research and think i’ve narrowed down who might have been involved. rest under the cut.

the short version is that on april 20th, 2018, shortly after a hockey foundation canada gala, a woman was gang-raped by eight chl players, more than one of whom were on team canada at the time. after settling with the plaintiff out of court, neither the chl nor hockey canada have released the names of the players involved. based on the facts that have been made available, i’ve attempted to identify which athletes on the 2018 canadian team are most likely to have been defendants in the case. it seems to me that the national team players involved were alex formenton and robert thomas, then of the london knights, currently of the ottawa senators and stl blues respectively.

the language used in the lawsuit is the assailants, “including but not limited to members of the Canada U20 Men’s Junior Hockey Team,” were all teammates in the chl. what that means is that any athlete on team canada who was not in the chl is not implicated. those athletes are cale makar (then playing for the umass minutemen), colton point (colgate university), dante fabbro (boston university), and victor mete (montreal canadiens).

the lawsuit claims that all eight of the assailants were chl teammates. it also claims that memberS - plural - of the national team were implicated, meaning that any athlete who was the only representative of his chl team on team canada was not a participant in the assault. this suggests that carter hart (everett silvertips), jake bean (calgary hitmen), kale clague (brandon wheat kings), jonah gadjovich (owen sound attack), maxime comtois (victoriaville tigres), taylor raddysh (eerie otters), tyler steenbergen (swift current broncos), drake batherson (cape breton screaming eagles), michael mcleod (mississauga steelheads), brett howden (moose jaw warriors), sam steel (regina pats), and jordan kyrou (sarnia sting), each of whom were the only representative of their chl team on team canada that year, are also not implicated.

what that leaves us with is a set of athletes who fit the criteria for those that assaulted the anonymous girl: at least two men who played for the same chl team and were on team canada in 2018. they are connor timmins and boris katchouk, then of the sault ste. marie greyhounds, OR callan foote and dillon dubé of the kelowna rockets, OR alex formenton and robert thomas of the london knights.

that’s what we know for certain; the rest is conjecture. i would say that the team based in london, ontario is the most likely to have been present in london, ontario at the time the gang rape took place. i think the team canada defendants in the lawsuit whose names they refuse to release are alex formenton and robert thomas, both on the london knights roster at the time. they are also both currently in the nhl: alex formenton is on the sens, robert thomas is on the blues.

if you or any loved ones travel in the same circles as these guys or would be likely to encounter them, i wanted to share this with you. it’s my hope that the names of the athletes will be released by someone who actually knows for sure at some point, especially considering there are six other men out there who brutalized this girl, but in the meantime, i think having a shortlist of people who may be dangerous is valuable for anyone who is at risk as a potential victim.

#chl #hockey #robert thomas #alex formenton #hockey culture

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mitchbeck · 7 months

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK MAKE FINAL CUTS

By: Gerry Cantlon, HowlingsHARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack made the tough decisions and made tough cuts, sending defenseman Seth Barton, center Matej Pekar, and forward Cristiano DiGiacinto to their ECHL affiliates, the Cincinnati Cyclones.Two days ago, Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch had high praise for Barton while Pekar and DiGiacinto signed fan autographs at Trinity College at the Koepppel Community Center after the first period.19-year-old Maxim Barbashev, still junior eligible and cut loose from his Amateur Try-Out (ATO) deal, heads back to the QMJHL Shawinigan Cataractes. Goalie Brad Arvanitis was released from his Professional Try-Out (PTO) deal and heads to the Maine Mariners (ECHL), who open their camp along with the rest of the ECHL.Fellow 19-year-old Adam Sykora stays here because he is European and played last year in a pro league in Slovakia.These moves leave the Wolf Pack with 15 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goalies, making 25 players.There was a chance that one to three changes could happen on Monday by either trade, release, or via the waiver wire, as the Rangers had to hand in their final roster by 5 p.m. as per CBA regulations to start the NHL season.CALGARY ARENA A long-awaited plan was finalized for an $890M new arena development project along with mixed-use development for the Calgary Flames is now formally set after the team, the City of Calgary, and the province of Alberta completed a formal agreement.They are set to break ground next year with a projected opening by 2026 or 2027. The project will include the new arena of about 18,000-plus seats in downtown Calgary and will include a culture and entertainment district, including a public plaza, community ice rink, restaurants, retail, and residences.The project will entail the replacement of the Flames’ current home, the Scotiabank Saddledome. The building is known for its iconic saddle-shaped roof and role in the 1988 Winter Olympics.The Saddledome replaced the Calgary Corral, which was their first home when they relocated from Atlanta and the WHA Calgary Cowboys.The Saddledome is now 40 years old and no longer meets current NHL standards. It will be demolished once the new arena is completed.The new arena will house the NHL Flames, AHL Wranglers, WHL Hitmen, CFL Stampeders, and NLL Calgary Roughnecks.The City of Calgary will contribute $390 million toward the project, the province will chip in $240 million, and the Flames ownership, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) will pay $260 million.The Flames will commit to the city on a 35-year lease as part of the deal.NOTES:Only one player, Drew Worrad, who is dealing with a minor undisclosed injury, is unavailable a week before he will probably be sent to Cincinnati to get game reps.Ex-Pack’s Josh Wesley and Brandon Cutler were assigned to the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) by the Colorado Eagles (AHL).Ex-Pack Simon Denis announced his retirement from hockey. He becomes the sixth ex-Pack to retire this off-season.Ex-Pack Brandon Alderson signs with the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL).UCONN opened their season on the road with a non-conference meeting with Colgate University Saturday night, winning 4-2 over the Red Raiders, who ex-Pack Mike Harder coaches.On Sunday afternoon, ended in a 3-3 tie with Ethan Haider in net and sophomore Matt Wood scoring one of their three goals.On Saturday night, before an SRO crowd, the defending national champion Quinnipiac University Bobcats (ECACHL) battled a non-conference foe, the loaded Boston College Eagles, at the M&T Bank Arena. The Bobcats received a sterling performance in goal from Vinny Duplessis (BU grad transfer) but still lost the game 2-1 with nine seconds left in overtime.Easton Armstrong, the youngest son of Wolf Pack great Derek Armstrong, had a hat trick, including the 7-6 game-winner in overtime, in an early season win for the Wenatchee (WA) Wild (WHL) win over Kamloops Blazers, Pack goalie Dylan Garand’s old junior team.HARTFORD WOLF PACKHOWLINGS Read the full article

#AHL #AmericanHockeyLeague #ArtemAnisimov #BostonCollegeEagles #CalgaryWranglers #CardiffDevils #ColoradoEagles #HartfordWolfPack #MikeHarder #NationalHockeyLeague #NHL #QuinnipiacUniversity #QuinnipiacUniversityBobcats #ScotiabankSaddledome #XLCenter

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