Kraken's Justin Rogers Becomes 1st Publicly Out Gay NHL Support Staff Member on Bench

Seattle Kraken assistant athletic trainer Justin Rogers became the first publicly out gay support staff member on an NHL bench when he posted a letter on Friday to the team's website speaking his truth.

Rogers titled the letter, "A Letter To My Younger Self," and he spoke about the pivotal moments along his journey that made him comfortable sharing his sexuality with his friends, family and now the NHL community.

Rogers wrote:

"Dear younger JR,"

"Becoming the best you will take time and understanding."

"That knot in your stomach—the one that makes you feel confused, isolated, lost in the world—invisible to everyone but you? It will slowly loosen. You don't even understand the knot, but with time you will learn things about yourself and fulfill dreams so many others like you feel they cannot."

"You will accept yourself as a gay man, creating a life authentic to you, while welcoming others into it. It won't be easy, and you won't do it alone. It will take time. The building blocks will start to take shape now as you enter your teenage years."

One of those pivotal moments for Rogers came on Christmas Day in 2014 when he handed each of his family members an index card to tell them that he was gay, according to ESPN's Ryan S. Clark.

Nine months passed before Rogers told his two best friends about his sexuality.

Almost eight years later, Rogers shared his story with Kraken general manager Ron Francis, who made him feel comfortable opening up about his sexuality to the public in hopes it can help others.

"I don't think it matters how many times you come out to somebody, there's always a level of nerves," Rogers said, per Clark. "You don't know how someone is going to react. Ron is the most stand-up, phenomenal person in the world. Ron loves everyone within his community. I had zero doubt he was going to have my back and that it would matter with him."

Rogers' decision to publicly come out as gay comes at a time when the NHL has been criticized for its lack of inclusivity. The league banned the wearing of specialty warm-up jerseys, including Pride jerseys, this season and initially outlawed colored tape before walking back the rule.

The Kraken have celebrated intersectionality, inclusivity and representation since joining the league during the 2021-22 season.

Seattle became the first team in NHL history to have an all-Black broadcasting duo and the club also announced in February that the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe would be their jersey patch partner, which is the first time an Indigenous tribe has had its logo and name on an NHL jersey.

As for Pride events and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, the Kraken will still host Pride Night this season and auction off Pride jerseys to raise money for charity.