Sharks' Tommy Wingels steps up for gay athletes

The Sharks' Tommy Wingels, signing autographs for fans, was one of the first athletes to support the group You Can Play. The Sharks' Tommy Wingels, signing autographs for fans, was one of the first athletes to support the group You Can Play. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Sharks' Tommy Wingels steps up for gay athletes 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

When student-manager Brendan Burke came out to the hockey team at Miami University of Ohio in 2009, he was doing something almost unheard of at the time.

The Miami team, led by captain Tommy Wingels, didn't have the slightest problem with Burke's declaration that he was gay, however. He and the rest of the RedHawks hockey team accepted Burke, just as they always had.

"Why should the relationship he had with the guys on the team be changed at all just because of his sexual orientation?" Wingels said. "That had no bearing on anything. He was still the same person."

Burke, 21, was killed in a car crash several months after coming out nationally in an ESPN.com story, and in his honor, close friend Wingels, now a forward with the San Jose Sharks, became a founding benefactor of the You Can Play project, which is dedicated to ensuring respect and equality for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation.

Wingels and former Miami teammate Andy Miele, now with the Phoenix Coyotes, were the first pro athletes to support You Can Play, which was started by Brendan Burke's brother, Patrick; Burke's father, Brian, the acting president and general manager of the Calgary Flames; and Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman.

Area athletes on board

You Can Play has gone on to become one of the most high-profile campaigns in sports, with dozens of athletes, teams and well-known musicians filming videos to support the cause.

"After Brendan passed, his brother came up with the idea of: 'How can we bring about Brendan's dream of equality in hockey to fruition?' " Wingels said. "He reached out to me and Miele and there was a lot of brainstorming and feedback with other players, and everyone was more than willing to help."

In the Bay Area, Joe Thornton of the Sharks, Coco Crisp of the A's, Vernon Davis of the 49ers, Marcel Reece of the Raiders, Klay Thompson of the Warriors, Barry Zito of the Giants and Chris Wondolowski of the Earthquakes all participated, and Stanford and Cal athletes also have filmed spots, as did the San Francisco Bulls minor-league hockey team.

"It's not an exaggeration to say that without the way the players on the Miami team reacted, we would not exist, and Tommy Wingels was a major, major part of that," Patrick Burke said. "Tommy is a special kid. You see the character, you see the work ethic, you see how he gives back in San Jose and at Miami. I hate to keep just saying, 'He's so special,' it sounds like I'm blowing smoke - but he really is."

Modest benefactor

Wingels, 25, does not want to hear any such compliments when it comes to his involvement in You Can Play, though.

"I shouldn't get any credit for doing the right thing," said Wingels, who is from Chicago and was drafted by the Sharks in 2008. "I don't feel special for being part of the push to change the environment in sports - it was long overdue. And hockey, everyone across the league, everyone has done a great job of embracing the idea that locker rooms should be safe and accepting places."

Pro hockey has yet to have a gay player come out, but Patrick Burke and Wingels applauded NBA player Jason Collins' decision to come out last year. "That has opened doors for a lot of people in sports, seeing an NBA player coming out," Wingels said. "I am happy for him to be able to live his life freely."

'Tommy is giving back'

Wingels' involvement in what has turned into a major national movement does not surprise Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, who said, "Tommy's maturity level is quite high; he's a smart, educated person, a thinker.

"When he left college and became a pro, he just got it. He understands what it takes, he's organized, and the extracurricular and community efforts he's involved with speak for themselves. With his class, and with his experience, Tommy is giving back."

And everything started with just simple acceptance of a friend's sexual orientation four years ago, which was no big deal to Wingels at the time, but now helps form the basis for changing the culture of an entire industry.

"You talk about Tommy's leadership with that Miami team: What he did to make Brendan comfortable after Brendan came out was tremendous," Patrick Burke said. "It's great when you have the example of a player who doesn't just talk about doing something, but who has done it.

"Everything we've done and continue to do is in response to the example Tommy set in Miami. When the manager comes out and Tommy and his teammates are fully supportive, what a difference that makes. I tell everyone to be like Miami University and Tommy Wingels."