Heated Rivalry_ TV series

Smash hit Heated Rivalry offers 'reprieve' for LGBTQ+ community, creates conversation among hockey fans.

By Shireen Ahmed · CBC Sports · January 10, 2026

Two men sit down for a press conference. Both are wearing black blazers with white dress shirts underneath. Behind them is a series of logos. A screenshot from Heated Rivalry, a TV series based on Halifax author Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name that follows the love affair between two professional hockey players.

To say it has scored in unprecedented ways would be an understatement. Last week, my friend and colleague, Dr. Amira Rose Davis and I were chatting and she said “I can not believe you haven’t watched it yet!” Admittedly, I was behind on this riveting series.

According to Amira, it’s the perfect “Canadian hockey story” and automatically she thought of me. She and Dr. Jessica Luther even did a special segment on the show for our podcast.

But my interest is not only around this compelling series — shot, produced and created in Canada with Canadian talent — that is based on a book series by Haligonian Rachel Reid. Heated Rivalry follows the love story of two gay hockey professional players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, on fictional NHL teams who hide their affair because of, well, hockey. I am fixated on the discussions in the media around it, and the progress.

The Canadian streaming sensation Heated Rivalry — which centres on a gay romance between two professional hockey players — has been a big hit with viewers, who have ranked it among the highest-rated episodes of all time on IMDB. Jacob Tierny, who wrote and directed Heated Rivalry, is no stranger to Canadian media. Despite the reaction to the series, men’s hockey remains as plain and unprogressive as usual. It is not a bastion of inclusion and diversity.

Over two years ago, the NHL banned Pride Tape then unbanned it. It was handled so poorly that even players decided to act against the policy that was meant to regulate theme nights. It reminds us that although there may be communities and players who care about the cause, the boardrooms and decision makers are not rooted in justice in sport, but rather swayed by reputation and powerful opinion.

Sure there are movements and organizations that seek to change this, but on the whole, men’s hockey is not a delicious space of uniqueness.

At the moment, there are no out players in the NHL. Is it because hockey may not be an environment where sport feels safe for those who refuse to conform? Can you really be your true self when there is no actual example of someone in professional men’s hockey being successful after coming out? According to reports, the NHL is the only pro league that has not yet had a former or active player come out.

Meanwhile, Heated Rivalry has become Crave TV’s most-watched original series ever. It has also become quite a fodder for discussion in traditional hockey spaces. The popular hockey podcast Empty Netters, hosted by two white, straight, male and former junior players, have not only done reaction videos to every episode, it has delved into plots, characters and deeper meaning within the show.

Last month, the Montreal Canadiens showed the trailer during a game. And the Boston Bruins even made reference to it in a social media caption after a charged game against the Habs. 

One might consider this a win-win situation. Gay hockey plots in mainstream media?! 

But could it be argued that those jumping on the Heated Rivalry bandwagon may not be as culture-altering as we have hoped? There are certainly new fans coming from the show interested in hockey, which is the backdrop of the show. 

I spoke with Harrison Browne, the first professional trans hockey player — now actor and author — about the show and the intentionality of the fandom.

Browne, who has a role in the series, admits that he didn’t expect the show to be the global pop culture phenomenon it has become.

“The resurgence of [positive] attention to trans people in sports has been exciting,” he told me during a phone call. “The amount of love has been on par with [or more] than I got when I came out.”

Exposing audiences to untraditional stories

He says it has been a "cool shift" to see himself in a queer hockey story in a way that he can be recognized but also be helpful to others in the wider community. Tierny selected him for the role because he is a great actor not because he’s great at hockey.

Browne says that exposing new fans to a story they may not see in a traditional hockey space has benefits. And he admitted that his following on social media has doubled and gotten him a lot of attention, hopefully leading to more opportunities.

But I can’t help but feel like hockey players and individuals with power ought to do more.

Soon on Movistar+