Heated Rivalry: How a hockey romance is changing sports culture
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Blurring the lines between sports and storytelling, Heated Rivalry has ignited conversations far beyond the screen, spotlighting queer representation and helping reshape how identity and authenticity are discussed in professional sports.
Since its release on Nov. 28, 2025, Heated Rivalry (2025- )has become impossible to ignore—and for good reason. The Canadian sports romance television series, created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney, is adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved series Game Changers, and has quickly captured widespread attention.
The show follows two of the top prospects in men’s ice hockey: Russia’s Ilya Rosanov and Canada’s Shane Hollander, who have an intense and long-running rivalry. Their relationship began in junior hockey and follows them as they rise through the professional ranks. Beyond the on-ice animosity, the series explores a secret romantic relationship between the two; shaped by pressure, ambition, and the expectations of men’s professional hockey. As the two navigate fame, locker-room culture, and public scrutiny, the show highlights themes of identity, masculinity, and the personal cost of hiding one’s authentic self in a traditionally conservative sports environment.
Now you may be asking yourself, what is an article about a television show doing in the sports section? The answer lies in the impact Heated Rivalry (2025- ) has had beyond the screen, especially in the world of sports. By centering queer athletes in men’s professional hockey, the series has opened up a platform for athletes to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, visibility, and inclusion in spaces where those conversations have not traditionally existed.
While many leagues have Pride Nights, those events are often where LGBTQ+ visibility begins and ends, offering symbolism but without sustained cultural change. The National Hockey League (NHL) sparked controversy during the 2022-2023 season when the league eliminated pride jerseys after some players refused to wear them. The league also banned the use of stick tape to express support for social causes, sending the message that expressions of LGBTQ+ identity and allyship are only okay when they are convenient and controlled.
Since the release of Heated Rivalry (2025- ), many professional athletes have publicly come out, challenging the traditional norms of professional sports and demonstrating that authenticity can exist even inside decades-old league structures. Hudson Williams, who plays Shane Hollander on the show, said he and Rachel Reid have received many messages from professional hockey, basketball, and football players who now feel as though they can publicly identify themselves as LGBTQ+. It is no wonder that athletes do not feel comfortable coming out and sharing their stories, especially with toxic locker-room culture and the Supreme Court’s challenges to trans athletes.
Heated Rivalry (2025- ) is just one show that has captivated audiences from all walks of life, bringing LGBTQ+ experiences in sports into the spotlight, opening the door for many athletes to come out publicly and reshape the culture of professional sports. One of the most recent athletes to come out after the show’s release is hockey player Jesse Kortuem, who came out in an emotional Facebook post on Jan. 13.
Korteum is not the only ice hockey player who identifies as LGBTQ+. In 2021, defenseman Luke Prokop became the first player contracted to an NHL team to come out as gay, and the following year, Manchester Storm defenseman Zach Sullivan came out as bisexual. Going even further into the ice hockey world, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, “[he] watched all six episodes… [and] binged it all in one night.”
Beyond hockey, former National Basketball League (NBL) center AJ Ogilvy discussed his relationship with fellow former NBL center Isaac Humphries, saying, “There’s now a place for us to have this conversation, to be able to talk as openly as this.” He noted that during his
basketball career from 2005-2022, he tried to “present as straight and not show this side of [his] personality,” adding that he did not see any “positive portrayals of gay relationships in basketball or in the media as a whole.”
Heated Rivalry (2025- ) has shown that storytelling can extend farther than just entertainment—it can be a catalyst for visibility, conversation, and change. The ripple effect is clear: more professional athletes are coming out, leagues are being challenged to reconsider the way things have always been done, and fans are beginning to realize that the athletes they love to watch are humans too. As the lines between fiction and reality start to blur, Heated Rivalry(2025- ) reminds us that representation has the power to reshape sports culture.