Former professional hockey player wants the next generation to shift the game's culture

OTTAWA -

Brock McGillis is on a mission to make hockey a more inclusive sport.

The former OHL and professional goalie made headlines in 2016 after coming out as gay.

"It was difficult to be gay in hockey," McGillis said. "Especially in men’s hockey. I mean the language, the attitudes, (and) the behaviours in the locker room. We're not very welcoming."

The 40-year-old 2SLGBTQ+ advocate plans to speak to 100 minor league hockey teams in 100 days – a journey that started in Vancouver in Nov. 2023 and will wrap up on Feb. 3 in Toronto, visiting teams in seven Canadian cities along the way.

"I try and share my story to humanize the impact of trying to be gay within the sport," said McGillis. "I think it's all about impact really, when they recognize impact they are going to evolve."

CTV News watched a recent session with two minor league team in Ottawa.

McGillis starts by challenging the young teenage players to confront homophobic slurs he says are all too common in dressing rooms around the country.

"Who here has used homophobic language?" McGillis asks the group.

Today, only one player puts up their hand.

"Usually no one puts their hands up,” McGillis said before the session.

"Either you’re all a bunch of saints and this is one of the most progressive hockey teams I have been near or talked to in my life," he told the young players. "Or we’re not being fully honest."

He then reassures the players there is no judgement and asks again.

This time three-quarters of the team raises their hands.

McGillis says he doesn’t want to shame the players, only to have them realize how normalized this sort of language has become, and how it can devastate others.

"When I was on the ice growing up, nothing else in my life mattered," McGillis said. "My sexuality didn't matter, a bad day at school didn't matter, an argument with a friend, whatever it was. Everything went away when I got on the ice."

"The problem was I had to go to the locker room first," the former OHL goalie said.

He then reminds them how influential they can be as young players.

"So maybe now (younger players will) stand up to their teammate that says something homophobic," McGillis said. "Maybe now they are a little more inclusive and welcoming to the queer kid at school? Maybe they now have a teammate who feels safe to come out?”

During the talk, McGillis shares personal anecdotes, uses humour to lighten the mood and provides resources for those who may need help.

"Yeah I'm talking about being gay and 2LGBTQ+ but pick the topic," McGillis told the group. "Racism, misogyny, ableism, mental health, bullying, it doesn't matter what it is, we can make it a little bit better."

Nathan Escala plays for an under-15 team in Ottawa and was listening to the discussion.

“I've been around (homophobic slurs) before and I think that I could have been able to tell them to not say that,” Escala said.

McGillis is looking for responses like this, when young players realize "they can create shifts and become shift makers."

The search for leadership comes after the NHL has struggled with recent inclusion controversies.

Last year, the league decided to ban players from using rainbow-coloured tape after several players objected to wearing Pride warm-up jerseys while the league was trying to promote 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion.

"When players didn't wear jerseys, frankly, from my perspective, I looked at it and said they have the freedom of choice not to," McGillis said. "And I'm ok with that, and I'd rather know."

"I don't want fake inclusion. I don't want people to pretend their inclusive, wear a jersey for a night and actually be anti-LGBTQ+, or anti-any group," he said.

In October, the NHL rescinded its ban using tape to support social causes after Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott defied the prohibition, and sported "Pride tape" on his stick.