5 Photos of Harrison Browne: First Openly Trans Pro Hockey Player Slams USA Hockey's 'Quiet' Trans Ban

Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender man in professional hockey, is speaking out against USA Hockey's new 'Participant Eligibility Policy.'

The organization reportedly approved the restrictive guidelines in November 2025 but faced criticism for not immediately announcing the changes to the public.

In a recent Instagram post, Browne condemned the policy—which effectively bars many transgender athletes from sex-restricted programs—labeling it a 'quiet' ban that regresses the sport's culture.

Here is everything you need to know about the new regulations, Browne's full sentiments on the ban of trans athletes, and a look at five photos of his historic journey as a trailblazer in the sport.

USA Hockey's 'Participant Eligibility Policy'

In a newly discovered document outlining a new policy, USA Hockey—the governing body for ice hockey in the United States—has quietly banned transgender athletes from participating in leagues that align with their gender identity.

The policy, titled the 'Participant Eligibility Policy,' was adopted in November 2025 but was not publicly announced for unknown reasons, seemingly flying under the radar until it was uncovered last week.

The new rules impose major restrictions on transgender athletes, overturning the previous 'Transgender Athlete Eligibility Policy' approved in 2019.

That policy allowed trans women and girls to compete in women's leagues after completing one year of testosterone suppression, required trans men to compete in men's leagues if they had begun testosterone, and permitted nonbinary players to register for any league for which they met the requirements.

Under the new policy, all of these provisions have been eliminated. Athletes are now only allowed to register for hockey programs 'based on their sex assigned at birth.'

Additionally, trans men who 'have undergone any male hormone therapy' are barred from participating in women's leagues and will seemingly be restricted to co-ed programs, according to the policy's language.

The organization maintains that most of its offerings are still inclusive, noting that youth, school, and adaptive programs typically operate as co-ed and without sex-based restrictions.

Policy Based on US Olympic & Paralympic Committee

The USA Hockey has adopted the new policy in accordance to the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which states 'requires that each sport's national governing body [...] must update and adopt their own policies to follow federal guidance.'

Last year, the USOPC updated its own policy barring trans women from women's Olympic competitions, in compliance with one of many anti-trans executive orders by President Donald Trump.

According to Them's report, the new eligibility rules will take effect on 1 April 2026, after which transgender athletes will effectively be ineligible for national teams under USA Hockey's jurisdiction, including the US Olympic and International Ice Hockey Federation teams.

Browne Slams USA Hockey for 'Quiet' Trans Ban

The new USA Hockey policy did not sit well with Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender professional hockey player.

On 22 January, the former hockey player—now an actor—took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the policy.

'USA Hockey has quietly barred trans people from participating in hockey safely. Myself included,' Browne wrote.

He described the 'quiet' ban as 'horrible' and explained, 'I was upset and wanted to do more research and realized that this policy also bars myself and other trans men from playing on women's beer league teams if we've undergone hormone therapy.'

'It's no surprise that men's hockey is not a safe environment for gender non-conforming individuals, and the women's side is often the only place for most queer people to play. Barring trans individuals from these spaces essentially bars us from hockey,' Browne added.

Harrison Browne's Hockey Journey

Browne has become a historic figure not only in the LGBTQIA+ community but also in the hockey world, as the first openly transgender man to play professional hockey in the United States.

His journey reflects a 'double life,' transitioning from elite women's hockey to becoming a public advocate and trailblazer for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

After playing college hockey at Mercyhurst and the University of Maine while keeping his gender identity private, Browne joined the NWHL in 2015 and became a two-time Isobel Cup champion with the Buffalo Beauts and Metropolitan Riveters.

In October 2016, Browne publicly came out as a transgender man in an ESPN article, becoming the first openly transgender athlete in a professional North American team sport.

Browne's coming out has become the trailblazer as it led the NWHL to collaborate with him to create the first-ever transgender participation policy in professional sports, establishing a blueprint for fair and respectful competition for trans athletes.

However, USA Hockey's new policy represents a significant departure from the inclusive environment Browne helped build, effectively reversing progress toward LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the sport.