The South Carolina Stingrays are bringing in a brother act for 2026-27, with defenseman Luke Prokop and forward Josh Prokop both signing contracts on Thursday as part of the Washington Capitals’ ECHL affiliate.
That move adds another sibling pairing to the Capitals’ system and gives the organization four sets of brothers across different levels. Luke and Josh now join Dylan and Matt Strome, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, and twins Adam and Justin Hall, who signed with South Carolina earlier this summer.
Luke Prokop arrives with plenty of pro experience behind him. Drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-5 shutdown blueliner has spent the past three seasons in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals and Bakersfield Condors. Last season in Bakersfield, he played 42 games and finished with three goals, eight assists and 11 points, along with 20 penalty minutes.
Luke also made history in 2021 as the first player under NHL contract to come out as gay. He has spent the last three seasons in the AHL, where he also became the league's first gay player.
Josh Prokop is coming off a strong run overseas after most recently playing professionally with Metal Ligaen, Denmark’s top hockey league, for the Herning Blue Fox. In 47 games, the playmaking right wing scored 17 goals and added 19 assists for 36 points. He then chipped in seven goals and five assists in the playoffs to help Herning win a Danish championship.
Before that, the 26-year-old served as captain at the University of Alberta and also logged seven AHL games with the Condors, picking up a goal and two assists.
The new contracts reunite the brothers, who last played together in 2020-21 with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
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