Heated Rivalry reshapes ice hockey stories and resonates in Canada.

The TV adaptation of Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, written and directed by Jacob Tierney and produced in Canada by Crave with public funding, has become a wide cultural hit and prompted a large rise in book sales reported by Indigo.

Heated Rivalry has become a notable cultural phenomenon in Canada and beyond. The series is adapted from Rachel Reid's 2019 queer hockey romance and was written and directed by Jacob Tierney. It was produced in Canada for the streaming service Crave and received support from public granting bodies. The adaptation has prompted renewed attention to both the source material and to how hockey is represented in popular culture. Noted details: - The series adapts Rachel Reid's novel and lists Jacob Tierney as writer and director. - The production was made in Canada, is associated with Crave, and received funding from the Canadian Media Fund and other granting agencies. - Indigo reported a 5,805% increase in sales for Heated Rivalry after the show aired, and Reid's next book, Unrivaled, became the chain's biggest pre-order romance title. - The show stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as the lead characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, and the actors gave a playful shoutout onstage at the Golden Globes on 11 January. - The article notes ongoing concerns about hockey culture, mentioning a recent acquittal of five junior players and that there is not yet an openly gay player in the NHL. Summary: The article describes Heated Rivalry as a Canadian-made series that has connected with a broad audience and spurred local cultural activity, including tourism promotion and themed events. It also highlights tensions between the show's celebratory reception and longstanding issues in hockey culture. A social media campaign to bring another Canadian series, Slo Pitch, to a larger U.S. platform is noted as a current development.