- Luke and Josh Prokop signed with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays for 2026-27
- Washington’s organization now has four sets of brothers spread across its affiliates
- Read below for what Luke says the reunion means for his parents
The Prokop brothers are teammates again for the first time since junior.
South Carolina announced Thursday that defenseman Luke Prokop and forward Josh Prokop had agreed to terms for the 2026-27 season. The Stingrays are the ECHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals and the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Luke is the name most hockey fans know. Nashville drafted the 6-foot-5 defenseman in the third round in 2020, and a year later he became the first player under an NHL contract to come out as gay. He added another first in November 2023 when he suited up for the Milwaukee Admirals and became the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game.
The 24-year-old spent last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, putting up three goals and eight assists in 42 games. He has 82 AHL appearances on his resume and a WHL championship with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Playing alongside Josh again solves something at home, too, and Luke said his parents were the first ones to notice:
“Josh and I were able to play with one another for three years in Junior hockey. I know my parents are very excited to only have to travel to one spot to watch us play, but it’s extremely exciting to play with Josh again and be able to watch his success on the ice in person.”
His story reached a much wider audience this summer. The Hockey Player, a documentary shot over three years, premiered at San Francisco’s Frameline festival in June and hit Apple TV and Prime Video on June 29. Here’s what Prokop wrote when it landed:
Josh is the older one and the scorer. The 26-year-old winger put up 36 points in 47 games for Herning Blue Fox in Denmark last season, then added 12 more in the playoffs to help the club win a Danish championship. Before turning pro he wore the C at the University of Alberta for two years.
Head coach Jesse Kallechy explained what Luke gives a blue line that lost bodies over the summer:
“His size, AHL experience, and ability to defend while also creating offense gives us a player who can make an impact in every situation. We think he has everything it takes to be one of the best all-around defensemen in the ECHL.”
Washington now has four sets of brothers scattered through its system. Dylan and Matt Strome, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, and twins Adam and Justin Hall are the others, and the Halls signed in Charleston earlier this summer.
Opening night at the North Charleston Coliseum is October 17 against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
