Heated Rivalry’s success challenges hockey’s unresolved homophobia
The gay hockey romance show forces the NHL to confront its homophobic culture
Over the past two months, Heated Rivalry has taken the internet by storm. Book readers, casual viewers and hockey fans alike have all tuned in to the Crave original series.
Viewers all around the world loved the tension and romance between two rival hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Beyond its romantic appeal, the show also showcased glimpses of discrimination and exclusion within the NHL (or MLH in the show). After all, the NHL is the only league out of the Big Four (NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB) without any openly gay players.
Back in 2017, the NHL launched the "Hockey is for Everyone" campaign, aiming to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
Despite the initiative, nothing much has changed. Some players only offer vague support, while others even refuse to put rainbow tape on their sticks or participate in Pride Night celebrations.
In 2023, the league escalated these tensions by banning Pride jerseys and tapes. The ban was reversed when former Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott challenged the NHL’s ban on Pride tape.
But while the NHL initiative emphasizes the importance of hockey welcoming everyone, USA Hockey is busy doing the exact opposite. The organization recently announced a policy banning transgender athletes from participating in hockey programs classified by sex.
How can you promote inclusivity while preventing transgender athletes from playing hockey at all? Doesn’t this imply that hockey is, therefore, not for everyone?
With Heated Rivalry confirmed to return with a second season, and its author, Rachel Reid, set to release the third book of Shane and Ilya’s story, it is clear that the show’s influence on the league will continue in the next few years.
Even the NHL commissioner himself, Gary Bettman, revealed that he binged the series in one night. Arenas blast scenes and songs from the show, and fans themselves wear jerseys of the fictional characters. Official accounts of different hockey teams even reference the show.
It’s clear the league is blatantly and cleverly capitalizing on the show’s success to garner a larger audience.
But what more can this marketing tactic do? What more can they do to promote inclusivity and denounce discrimination when only three years ago, the league couldn’t back up their initiative, as they banned anything Pride-related on the ice?
Some of the show's stars have no problem calling out the league.
François Arnaud, who played Scott Hunter, called out the NHL for the same reason: if they’re going to use the show’s name, they need to promote an inclusive environment.
On a good note, some players assured that they would be supportive if another player on their team came out as gay. This is generally a good sign, given that locker-room culture across many major sports leagues has long fostered homophobia and toxic masculinity.
The NHL should not use Heated Rivalry as a marketing tactic. Instead, they should use it as a way to combat homophobia. By continuing to treat it as a distraction, the league will continue to exclude queer fans and players.
And if the NHL wants to say that it is ready for the day when a player comes out as gay, they first have to create a safe space for them to do so.
Visibility alone is not action. Promoting and supporting a television show is not enough without a concrete plan, and the league should start by not backtracking on its support for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
