Heated Rivalry shows queer joy disrupting hockey's culture of masculinity

The Crave series Heated Rivalry centres on a romance between two professional hockey players and highlights queer joy that unsettles hockey's hypermasculine norms, prompting wide online discussion and watch parties.

Heated Rivalry is a Crave adaptation of Rachel Reid's novel that follows a romance between two professional hockey players, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). The series highlights queer joy emerging in difficult and often hostile circumstances and is presented as opening new ways to imagine relationships and masculinity. It has attracted broad engagement beyond queer audiences, including public watch parties and online conversations. The article places the show against contemporary issues in hockey culture and recent controversies. Key facts: - The series centres on rivals Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, played by Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. - The article argues the show's focus on queer joy unsettles hockey's hypermasculine norms and models emotional attunement, vulnerability and care. - The article notes there is currently no publicly out gay player in the NHL and cites a 2022 Hockey Canada report that found 61% of on-ice harassment penalties involved sexual orientation or gender identity. - It reports that Hockey Canada disclosed $8.9 million in sexual abuse settlements since 1989. - The article recalls a 2024 controversy in which the NHL briefly banned Pride Tape and restricted specialty Pride jerseys; the Pride Tape ban was later reversed after public outcry, while the jersey restriction remained. Summary: The article presents Heated Rivalry as notable for centring queer joy, consent and tenderness in a sport often described as enforcing emotional stoicism, and for prompting wider conversations about who belongs in hockey. It links the show's visibility to discussions that challenge prevailing norms in the sport. Undetermined at this time.