Things are getting pretty heated in the NHL — not just on the ice, but on HBO.

“Heated Rivalry” is a new show based on the best-selling sports romance novels by Rachel Reid. The show follows two professional male hockey players from rival teams who end up pursuing a deep and intimate relationship. The media in the show paints them to be archenemies, but they are anything but. 

The show’s popularity could be sparking interest in the NHL, as ticket reselling app SeatGeek reported a 20% increase in weekly hockey ticket sales after the first episode’s release.  

At games, fans also are spotting references to the show, indicating that the NHL understands the hype “Heated Rivalry” is causing. Those references include playing snippets of songs from the show’s soundtrack during game breaks or camera crews panning to signs promoting the show. 

Jamie Benassi, a skater on the U.S. women’s development sled hockey team, remembers seeing a few of the league’s references to the show,  and has even seen “Heated Rivalry” jerseys on sale at games.

“It was cool to see how quickly the NHL took the show in and started to promote it,” Benassi said.

Logan Cline, a Chicago Blackhawks fan who also runs a hockey meme account on Instagram, was at the team’s Pride Night game and said that “everything they did was ‘Heated Rivalry’ no matter what.”

Before the show, the NHL used Pride Nights as a way to welcome LGBTQ+ viewers into the league. Now, some hockey fans say “Heated Rivalry” is helping a new demographic learn about hockey.  

“Being part of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I can definitely see how much it opened the door and welcomed the community to join in on the fun,” said Crystal Bennett, a Blackhawks fan. She added that before, she never felt the sport shut out her community completely, but she did feel that being gay still had  “a huge stigma.”

“I think the show opened so many people’s eyes and says, ‘This exists, and we still exist.’”

The show’s popularity also has prompted hockey players to be more open about their sexual orientation. Jesse Kortuem, a hockey player from Minnesota, credited the show in a speech posted to Facebook for giving him the courage to come out. He also shared how this fear led him to walking away from hockey for an extended period of time. 

“As a young teenager, I carried a weight that did not seem to fit into that world, and I lived in a constant state of dichotomy,” Kortuem said in his post. “I loved the game, but I lived with a persistent fear. I wondered how I could be gay and still play such a tough and masculine sport.”

Hockey fans like Benassi believe the show encourages a world where sports provide a safe space for people to be who they truly are, without having to mask parts of themselves to fit a narrative.

“It’s so important for people to be able to feel comfortable and welcomed in any group, team or setting, no matter the circumstances,” she said.

Bennett said the show also makes clear  that, although the sport means different things to different people, hockey is a worldwide village of viewers and players “with one love for an awesome sport.”

“And that sport,” she added, “has built up confidence, resilience and our communities in so many ways.”

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