NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to Prokop on the phone and said he wanted him to know that he was there for anything he needed, and that respect for everyone was paramount.
"People, unless they can be their authentic true selves, can't be the best they can be," Commissioner Bettman said. "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."
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin posted an Instagram story with fist bumps, hearts and a rainbow while Stars defenseman John Klingberg opted for thumbs up emojis. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner sent out the message, "Much respect & support Luke!"
And Predators forward Filip Forsberg, posted "Awesome! See you at camp Luke!!"
The messages were of pride, respect and love for Prokop, who was selected in the third round (No. 73) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Predators on Dec. 9, and scored six points (two goals, four assists) in 15 games for Calgary of the Western Hockey League this season.
"I think it's huge for the NHL, for the game, for the world," New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba told NHL.com. "Obviously, you want people to be as comfortable and feel as comfortable as they can and be their true selves.
"You want people to feel comfortable coming to the rink and coming to their jobs. It's definitely good to see. It shows a lot of courage from him and maybe kind of opens eyes for some other people to feel comfortable being themselves as well.
"We talk about how Hockey is for Everyone, we do Pride Night. They're not just words. We want people to feel supported in the League. Hockey wants to strive for equality and acceptance for everyone. It's been more at the forefront, what we've been trying to do as League."
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Tyson Barrie tweeted a message to the Edmonton native, writing, "Proud of you @lukeprokop_6. This will help so many going through similar journeys! All love!" with two rainbow flags.