‘Heated Rivalry’ Could Change the NHL For the Better… But it Probably Won’t

Not to brag, but I wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Heated Rivalry became a massive hit. It seemed to shock many in the TV world, who had no idea there was a built-in audience for a sexy romance about gay ice hockey players, but those of us who were paying attention knew that its success was inevitable. Hockey romance novels are bestsellers, romance on TV has always done well, and there was a gap in the market for something this unabashedly hot, earnest, and optimistic. Now, it seems that everyone is playing catch-up, and that includes the NHL.

Various teams, like the Boston Bruins, have embraced Heated Rivalry in social media posts. Author Rachel Reid, who wrote the book the series is adapted from, has attended games, and fans have turned up in droves, many to experience the game in person for the first time. According to OutSports, the series is driving a major increase in ticket sales from gay fans. It’s not dissimilar to the spike in sales seen after hockey romance novels exploded in popularity (a relationship that quickly became messy, as we wrote about here.) It’s an age-old dynamic: fans discover thing, thing becomes popular, fans gravitate towards wider culture of said thing, and the money rolls in. Clearly, for the National Hockey League, there’s something here they can’t ignore. Well…

As I wrote in my piece about becoming an ice hockey fan, it’s an all-too-familiar feeling, especially as a woman, to love something you know doesn’t love you back. Loving this sport means being endlessly confronted with macho culture that prizes performance over ethics. Add being LGBTQ+ to that, as I am, and hoo boy, the nightmare increases. No male-dominated sport is brilliant when it comes to respecting women and queer people, but the NHL puts its contemporaries to shame with its homophobia. As well as being a blindingly white sport, it’s universally straight. Brock McGillis came out as gay in 2016, several years after he stopped playing, but the league is devoid of out players as of the writing of this piece. When asked about Heated Rivalry, which he enjoyed, McGillis said, while it might ‘help the people around [players] understand a little more’, it won’t help others to come out. It is, after all, a steamy romance made for an audience that is decidedly more interested in queer romance than sports.

Sportswashing and rainbow capitalism are complicated forces in these spaces. It can be a net positive for queer fans to see space made for them, even if it’s only through tatty merch and the token one-night-a-year event. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of Pride at a sports match (at least one with male players) was unthinkable. Plus, if nothing else, it’s a sign of progress, right? The money outweighs bigotry. But it takes no time at all for such fragile advancements to be knocked back to square one.

Never underestimate a sporting organisation’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This is a world of rampant corruption, right-wing politicising, and good-old fashioned bigotry. We may get tokenistic nods towards equality and inclusivity but they will be snatched away the moment the cultural mood even vaguely shifts away from the centre. Officials express delight at their fanbases diversifying (and bringing in new money) but they’ll be abandoned quickly enough. Rainbow tape is lovely but how many players refuse to be seen with it? So many clubs just rolled back Pride Nights (and assorted themed nights centred on marginalised groups) without a second thought.

It’s not just ice hockey either. American football has lain in the ground to let Trump trod on them. FIFA is corrupt to a level so hilarious that certain politicians take notes for reference. Almost every major sports organisation has thrown trans people under the bus, from football to athletics to f*cking darts. It’s not merely that they don’t want us there: it’s that they’re supporting the smears that we’re a dangerous and toxic presence both on and off the field. And now, the NHL thinks it can pretend it’s a welcome space for queer people because the dollar signs just got a little bigger in their eyes? How long before that fades? Queer people are used to being viewed as fads rather than people, our struggles as promotional benefits rather than lifelong fights.

I’d love to believe there will be progress in the aftermath of the increased visibility of queer fans and participants in the NHL after Heated Rivalry. It’s a beautiful story: fans demand the space they deserve and those stuck in a cycle of machismo and queerphobia feel more at ease to be their true selves. But we are far from that pipedream. I do think, however, that we may see more non-LGBTQ+ fans helping to open up the space and call out bad behaviour in their own circles. A lot of more broey hockey fandoms and podcasts talked about Heated Rivalry without being creeps, and that can make a difference. Progress is typically maddeningly incremental and I don’t expect things to be any speedier this time around.

As is often the case, it may be better to look beyond the big leagues. The PWHL is full of incredible queer women. Leagues like the New York City Gay Hockey Association have been bringing LGBTQ+ fans and players together for decades, raising money and awareness for representation in sports and health issues among the community. The boots-on-the-ground change seldom happens in the biggest spaces where money trumps all, but we can certainly hope that it will trickle up. That, however, will require a seismic cultural change so vast that the NHL may have to risk more than a few dollars. The so-called ‘culture war’ is a weak excuse for not challenging the status quo.

I don’t blame people for not wanting to give that organisation their money, but I also see why people choose to vote with their wallets. I can’t claim I haven’t spent too much money on my Leafs gear (yeah, I know.) Why give up that hard fought-after ground and a hobby we love so much, just because a lot of it sucks? Ah, the eternal struggle. Still, hope is nice, but it’s not just that. It’s assertion. This thing gets to be ours too, and tiny changes are still changes. Maybe Heated Rivalry won’t change the world, but it’s a nice and welcome light in our world.