Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1129975
W H E N B R E N D A N B U R K E ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GIVING UP HOCKEY his senior year in high school, it took his family and friends by surprise. T h e g a m e r a n d e e p i n t h e B u r k e f a m - i l y b l o o d l i n e s w i t h Brendan's father, Brian, a long-time fixture in the NHL, and his brother, Patrick, looking to follow in those same footsteps with an NHL team. Little did anyone know at the time that Brendan was gay and was tired o f h e a r i n g t h e h o m o p h o b i c s l u r s i n t h e l o c ke r r o o m a n d o n t h e i c e . Fo r t u n a t e l y, B r e n d a n w o u l d f i n d another way to stay in the game as a video assistant with the Miami University Redhawks. Not long after coming out, Brendan was killed in a car crash in ea rly 2010. A s the hockey world mourned the loss, those close st t o h i m lo oke d t o honor h i s c om m it ment t o e qu a l rights for ever yone in the game by establishing the You Can Play initiative. " My brother Brenda n foug ht for tolera nce, equa lit y a nd gay r ig hts in spor ts," Patr ick Burke said in a v ideo on the organization's website (YouCanPlayProject.org ). "His message was simple: if you ca n play, you can play." T h a t m e s sa g e h a s b e e n r e i t e r a t- ed by some of the top players in the game, including Dustin Brown, Brooks Orpik, Jacob Trouba, Brian Gionta and James vanRiemsdyk, who have joined together to promote equality on the ice, in the locker room and in the stands. Tommy Wingels and Andy Miele, Burke's friends in college were ear- lier supporters of the initiative and continue to serve on the organization's board. They are joined by former Miami head coach Enrico Blasi, who also took the message to the American Hockey Coaches Association meetings. PHOTOS BY USA Hockey Archives; Getty Images; Madison Gay Hockey League EFFORT Team "You Can Play believes sports teams should focus on an athlete's skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit, not their sexual orientation and/ or gender identity." 56 // JUNE/JULY 2019 D I G I T A L E X C L U S I V E USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM