The Seattle Kraken’s young history since beginning NHL play in 2021 has been rife with major firsts: the team’s first playoff birth; the first team to eliminate a defending Stanley Cup champion in its first playoff appearance; securing the first shutout in NHL Winter Classic history in 2024; and hiring Jessica Campbell as the first female full-time assistant coach in NHL history ahead of its fourth season.
Alongside Campbell, another milestone for underrepresented identities on hockey’s biggest stage is now part of the newest NHL team’s lore. The team announced the promotion of Justin Rogers to the role of head trainer last week, making him the first out gay man to hold such a position ever in the NHL, if not all of men’s pro sports in America.
Rogers’ reputation is well-known to Kraken brass. The man charged with keeping the team ready for on-ice action spent the last three years of a career dating back more than a decade as the Kraken’s assistant trainer.
The team’s announcement highlighted how Rogers’ presence in professional hockey “continues to open doors for the LGBTQ+ community.”
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Justin Rogers shares his story of being a gay man in the NHL, with the Seattle Kraken
Rogers is a trainer for the Kraken. He has been out on social media for years.
By Cyd Zeigler | November 4, 2023
Rogers drew praise last November when he came out publicly in a letter to his younger self published on the team’s official website, describing his journey through life and hockey while understanding and celebrating his identity.
“You will live authentically and in doing so you will change and even save lives,” Rogers wrote. “I promise you any struggles or moments of doubt you ever have will be worth it because of each story that you hear and impact you have. Keep being you, keep building your community and keep showing the love to others the way you have received it from so many before you.”
He has become a fixture in team LGBTQ initiatives since then, and celebrated organizations such as the Seattle Hockey Pride Association that organize tournaments specifically for LGBTQ players.
His new position points to his sports medicine prowess and the personal support shown to him by the Kraken organization.
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