Heated Rivalry has rapidly become a pop-culture phenomenon, taking over social media with fans buzzing about representation in the hit hockey romance series, including a real-life player who recently said it helped him come out.
The series, which was adapted from books by Rachel Reid and airs on HBO Max in the U.S., features steamy storylines and candid depictions of closeted male hockey players in lust and in love.
The lead actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams rapidly catapulted to stardom, as well as their co-star Robbie G.K., who plays a smoothie barista who is navigating his relationship with the hockey team’s captain.
G.K. recognized the importance of what the show’s representation has come to mean for many viewers.
“It’s almost like a bit of a haven that it creates within the storyline for people to find comfort in, and if I had known the impact and the gravity of that storyline, I definitely would have overthought things,” G.K. said in an interview that aired Friday on Good Morning America.
On Tuesday, real-life hockey player Jesse Kortuem shared a post on Facebook saying the show inspired him to reveal publicly that he is gay.
“Heated Rivalry helped me realize that visibility matters,” Kortuem told GMA. “It finally allowed me to be that voice for so many that came before me to fight for hockey and inclusion in hockey.”
Reid told GMA that she’s also heard from “quite a few heterosexual men” that it has helped improve their marriages.
As for the inspiration for the story, she said that as a lifelong hockey fan “I’ve had a lot of problems with hockey culture and this was a way for me to get a lot of those feelings out on paper.”
A second season of Heated Rivalry is on the way, along with a new book titled Unrivaled.
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