Jablonski, Kings staffer who is paralyzed, comes out as gay – NHL.com

Jack Jablonski, who has been paralyzed for more than 10 years due to an accident in a high school hockey game, came out as gay on Wednesday.

“To my friends, supporters and anyone who has come across my story; while this has been a long time coming, it has not been an easy journey to get to this point,” Jablonski, associate digital media content specialist for the Los Angeles Kings, said on social media. “Over the past 10-plus years, adjusting to my ‘new normal’ and living life with paralysis has been difficult both publicly and privately. Thankfully, I’ve been gifted with such tremendous support and you’ve all played such a substantial role in my journey.

“But that is not the reason for this message. Prior to my injury, I began to battle my true self internally. I went from confusion, to disbelief, to denial, to pushing it down, to now, acceptance and happiness. This process has been extremely tough and lonely. I am proud of who I am and ready to share this. I am gay.”

Jablonski, paralyzed from the chest down since fracturing two vertebrae and severing his spinal cord when he was checked from behind and went head-first into the boards during a Minnesota high school hockey game Dec. 30, 2011, is an advocate for people with spinal cord injuries.

He also runs the Jack Jablonski Foundation, which was created a year after his accident to advance paralysis recovery treatments through research. He was honored for his charitable and advocacy work as the MassMutual Community Hero of the Game during the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues at Target Field on Jan. 1.

“I am not a professional athlete, but I plan on spending my life and career in sports,” Jablonski said “Having seen the acceptance of brave men and women that came before me, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done to pave the way in sports. You have helped people like myself become comfortable to be who we really are publicly. A gay man in the sports world.

“I hope that by sharing this part of me, I can help someone else out there avoid the pain and loneliness I went through these past 12 years.”

Luke Prokop, a Nashville Predators defenseman prospect, became the first NHL player under contract to come out as gay last year in July.

“Whether he knows it or not, Luke Prokop was huge for me,” Jablonski told The Athletic. “I opened up and talked to him. I asked him a bunch of questions and picked his brain on how everything went for him, and he was nothing but complimentary of everyone, especially how the Predators treated him, which made me feel a lot better.”

The Kings also released a statement.

“We are proud of Jack and impressed by the courage he displays — an inspiration to everyone in our organization. Inclusivity, equality, and diversity are embraced in our workplace and our community. Jack’s announcement is celebrated by our club and we support him unconditionally.”