The fierce battle for the attention of the American sports fan has led professional leagues to embrace almost any form of public relations help, no matter where it comes from. Still, one of the most remarkable stories in this arena in recent months is the massive boost being enjoyed by the NHL, thanks to a television series that tackles one of the most closely guarded secrets in men’s professional sports: many players are attracted to men and, even in 2026, are still afraid to come out.
That is the story told by Heated Rivalry, which has now arrived in Israel after becoming a cultural phenomenon in the United States in just six episodes. The two protagonists are Russian star Ilya Rozanov, played by 25-year-old Connor Story, a major name in Russia who finds fame in the NHL, and Shane Hollander, portrayed by 24-year-old Hudson Williams, the captain of a fictional team from Montreal. On the ice, they are fierce rivals; once the game ends, they conduct a passionate affair filled with explicit gay sex scenes rarely seen on television. Williams and Story became so popular that they were selected as torchbearers on the Olympic torch relay ahead of the Winter Games, which open Feb. 6 in Milan.
The series is based on a book series by Canadian author Rachel Reid, a lifelong fan of Canada’s national sport who was troubled by the overt homophobia in sports culture. “I thought about how hard it must be to be a closeted NHL player. I wanted to write a book in which a player comes out and finds happiness and love,” she said. Reid began writing out of boredom, in what was her first attempt at any kind of writing. To her astonishment, the first book, Game Changer, became a major hit, leading her to write five more. Those books were adapted into a small Canadian series made on a minimal budget, which was later acquired by HBO. The rest became cultural hysteria, though the way the show has helped the NHL truly came out of nowhere.
Six episodes in one night
While in much of American culture coming out has become routine and largely unremarkable, professional sports remain deeply stuck in old stigmas. In 2013, Jason Collins became the first active NBA player to come out publicly, briefly playing for the Brooklyn Nets before retiring. John Amaechi, who played for Orlando and Utah, came out after his career ended. In the NFL, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active player to come out in 2021, while Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted in 2014 but never played in the league. Soccer player Robbie Rogers came out in 2013 while still with the LA Galaxy. There are a few other examples, but overall the numbers are very small. Former NHL goaltender Brock McGillis, who came out in 2016 after retiring, recently described how living a double life led him to depression, drinking and self-harm.
That context makes the impact of a fictional love story between players on the real NHL all the more surprising. “I watched all six episodes in one night,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, blushing. “I think it’s a wonderful story, and it’s well done because I could see they paid attention to the details of our league.” Bettman avoided questions about the immense difficulties facing closeted players, especially after the NHL banned Pride jerseys and related apparel two years ago, a move he said was meant to keep political or controversial messages out of the game. Still, he recognizes the opportunity. “There are many things that attract people to hockey, and now it turns out this series is one of them.”
Players in the league have largely avoided commenting on the show, likely because even discussing gay relationships is still seen as a threat to their masculinity. But during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens — the fictional teams of the main characters are based in Boston and Montreal — the Bruins’ social media account posted: Heated Rivalry. Officially, the league told The Hollywood Reporter: “There are so many ways to get hooked on hockey and, in the NHL’s 108-year history, this might be the most unique driver for creating new fans.”
The shirt that says it all
Teams are jumping in as well
The audience everyone wants
It is not just a vibe; there are numbers to back it up. Data from ticket marketplace SeatGeek shows a clear rise in ticket purchases coinciding with the show’s release and rise to hit status. Average ticket prices climbed from $127 in the week the series premiered to $142 two weeks later — an increase not seen in previous years during the same period. Another notable trend was a rise in first-time hockey attendees and in fans going to games alone. While pairs of tickets still dominated NHL purchases in December at 54.7 percent, SeatGeek recorded the highest share of single-ticket buyers ever, up 13.5 percent from last year.
This trend aligns with anecdotal evidence on social media from people who say they attended a hockey game for the first time in their lives solely because of the gay couple on television. The effect is especially pronounced among women, who make up the show’s core audience and are now arriving at games in large numbers. Women are a demographic the NHL has been trying to attract for years, and it appears all it needed was a sexy series about two handsome players.
Even so, it is unlikely to prompt players to come out. Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams said he receives messages from hockey, football and basketball players who say they are closeted but cannot bring themselves to come out. Maybe next season.