Editor’s Note: The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is presented annually to the NHL Player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. Each NHL Club nominates a player to be considered for this recognition, and each nominee has a unique and powerful connection to his community efforts. The winner of the award will be announced on May 28. Today, the Philadelphia Flyers’ nominee for the 2023-24 season -- Scott Laughton -- shares his story.
When you make it to the NHL, you realize how special it is to have a platform. It’s a chance to be the kind of player that you looked up to when you were a kid.
You also realize how important it is to use your platform because it’s not going to last forever. I’ve always been conscious of the short window we have to make a difference through our position in the NHL. I see it as extra motivation to get involved in the causes I care about.
One of those causes is LGBTQ+ equality.
Like many people in and around hockey, this cause is personal for me. I’m close to someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve seen firsthand what the community goes through -- which is often a combination of hate, anger, and miseducation that causes a lot of hurt. Knowing how these experiences affect someone on a day-to-day basis gives me an important reason to speak up.
At the same time, I understand there are a lot of people who don’t have a “reason” -- because they don’t have anyone in their life who identifies as LGBTQ+.
However, it’s important to be able to break down your own biases and beliefs surrounding a topic, and humanize the people in the community they may be affecting. Why should I be treated, viewed, or welcomed any differently in society than a person raised alongside me? Someone with the same values, manners, and appreciation of love and respect for a partner in their life, just because it may not look the same as what has been accepted as ‘normal’ for years?
You don’t need to know someone who is LGBTQ+ to care about their experiences, to believe they deserve fair treatment, and to want to help create a more welcoming environment.
I think hockey can and should play a role in creating that environment. I’ve been proud to partner with You Can Play -- an organization that works to support inclusion for LGBTQ+ people to participate in sports as athletes, coaches, and fans -- to promote culture change in our game.