The real winner at last weekend’s third annual NHL Pride Cup — where the two leading LGBTQ+ hockey associations in the Pacific Northwest faced-off — wasn’t just one of the teams on the ice. It’s formerly retired hockey player Matt Kenny.
And what he’s won is greater visibility for both himself and everyone struggling with the fear of coming out.
The Canadian-born, 46-year-old from Coachella Valley, California, attended the two-game event on February 28 in Surrey, British Columbia, just southeast of Vancouver, and on Monday he posted his feelings about its impact on Instagram.
“This weekend reminded me that visibility within our community matters,” Kenny told the 4.5 million people who’ve started viewing his posts, thanks to Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid. Kenny credits Reid for both drawing attention to his story by sharing it on her social media and for inspiring him to come out publicly in January. He said in one video that last Christmas Eve, he watched the first episode of the HBO series based on her novels, about the romantic relationship between two competing hockey players, and it broke him.
"I legitimately broke down, it cracked me wide open, I had a panic attack, I couldn’t breathe, and like 20 years of memories and trauma came back,” said Kenny.
Through his posts and articles in Outsports and Edge Media, the former hockey defenseman revealed to his followers his own secret relationship with a teammate, why he decided to leave the sport, his five-year-long battle with multiple sclerosis and his determination to overcome his diagnosis and become a long-distance runner. And Kenny shared that for the first time in 15 years, he’d recently returned to the ice.
“I don’t know why, but my gut told me the only way that I could heal this was to repair my relationship with hockey," Kenny said, after lacing-up his skates at the Berger Foundation Iceplex in Palm Desert, California. "It felt amazing," he said.
Kenny noted in another post how important he feels it is “for the LGBTQ+ community and specifically our trans brothers and sisters to feel safe inside sport and the sport that they love. Not tolerated. Not debated. Not politicized. Safe. I saw the impact directly. I saw it in the eyes of the next generation.”
He amended the caption of his post to include nonbinary individuals: “I should have said ‘our trans family,’ not brothers and sisters. We are all learning each and every day.”
Last weekend, Kenny met a 9-year-old hockey fan and his mom at the NHL Pride Cup, who said he recognized him and asked if they could take a picture together.
“Yesterday was the first time I actually looked into the eyes of that next generation, and it hit me. This was no longer just an idea. This isn’t about saying the right thing. This was about getting into the mind of a kid who felt something, connection or recognition or maybe even the possibility,” said Kenny in an Instagram post. “And here’s the wild part: There were Stanley Cup champions in that room. Actual legends of the sport. And he still wanted a picture with me. Later, his mom texted me that on the ride home, he told her that I was his hero, and that it was the best day he’d had in a long time.”
“For me,” Kenny concluded, “It wasn’t just about rainbows. It was about connection and community and love of others and self.”
Kenny challenged his followers to be visible: “Think about who might be watching you. Think about how you could become a hero for someone else, not by being extraordinary but by being honest. By telling your story,” he said, adding, “What if you’re the hero they’ve been waiting for?”
Gay hockey player called 'hero' by 9-year-old at NHL Pride Cup Matt Kenny / Instagram Reel
As for the NHL Pride Cup itself, Vancouver’s The Cutting Edges won gold; silver went to the visiting Seattle Pride Hockey Association. The NHL made a $25,000 donation to each team, to support their continued community impact. In addition to Kenny, former National Hockey League players including Andrew Ference, Bill Ranford, Corey Hirsch, Dave Tomlinson, Dave Babych, and Jyrki Lumme were also in attendance.
Kenny told his followers he’s vowed to be on the ice for next year’s NHL Pride Cup.
