Hockey fans and players like to pretend that gay people don’t exist. By and large, they don’t want to believe that any of God’s Chosen—hockey players—are gay.

In October, 1997 I played in my first hockey tournament, sponsored by the Toronto Gay Hockey Association. My teammates and the other teams played as well as any team in the equivalent divisions back home. Nobody watching the games could tell just by looking that we were all gay.
Earthquakes at TGHA Molson Friendship ’97
Photo Copyright © 1997 by Michael Roeder

There’s a gay hockey team in Los Angeles called the Southern California Blades. A few years ago they won the state championships in their division. They once played against the Police and Firemen’s hockey team—and won. Once the other teams in their league found out that they were gay, players started mysteriously quitting the other teams ... and joining the Blades.

No gay guys in hockey? Guess again. Read The Last Closet: Sports, an ESPN Sports article about gay people in sports. There’s even a section about the Boston Lobsters, a gay hockey team with a straight goalie.