PWHLers, NHL commissioner among fans of gay hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry’

Despite a busy schedule with her PWHL team and Canada’s women’s squad, Ambrose dug into the “Game Changer” series of books by Canadian author Rachel Reid that the show is based on, devouring them, too.

“I’m not going to lie — I think after episode four, I downloaded the first book and read that within 24 hours. So I ruined the end of the show for myself,” she said. “And then I also read the second book before episode six came out. I couldn’t get enough of it.”

Ambrose isn’t alone. Many in the hockey world have fallen in love with the Canadian-made production and are hopeful it could open the sport to new communities.

Even NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has taken notice, saying he watched all six episodes of “Heated Rivalry” in one night.

Vancouver Goldeneyes forward Sarah Nurse enjoyed the show, too.

“I think it was able to show that tenderness, that love,” she said. “There was a tiny bit of hockey. There wasn’t a ton of hockey. But I think it was just amazing to see, you know, joyful stories being shared.”

Her teammate, Katie Chan, is also a fan.

“I think it just gives a different insight into professional athletes and the difficulties of coming out,” said the Goldeneyes forward. “I think it really showed a vulnerable side that you only see behind the scenes. And so for it to be brought to light, I think that was really powerful.”

Many sports — including women’s hockey — have embraced athletes who’ve come out as LGBTQ+ in recent years, but an openly gay player has yet to play in the NHL.

Seeing a gay male hockey player come out in “Heated Rivalry” was “pretty surreal,” Ambrose said.

“It means everything. I always talk about how fortunate I am to be a female athlete in women’s hockey, a sport that’s so accepting of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “All of the women in (the PWHL) are either phenomenal allies or part of the community. And it’s pretty special to be able to see that and say that.”

The show felt too real at times for Brock McGillis.

Before he became one of the first male professional hockey players to publicly come out as gay, McGillis was a closeted athlete playing in the Ontario Hockey League and in Europe.

He remembers all too well what it felt like to sneak a guy into his hotel room. He remembers hiding numbers in his phone under women’s names. He remembers what it feels like to see a secret partner at a public event, panic, and abruptly leave.

Now a public speaker and LGBTQ+ advocate, McGillis found watching “Heated Rivalry” so tough at times, he slammed his laptop shut.

“It was a little triggering,” he said. “But in an ‘I’m happy this exists’ way.”

Most people don’t recognize how difficult it is for closeted athletes to live double lives, where everything from their performance to their mental health is affected daily, he added.

“We need to grasp that,” McGillis said. “And maybe if we did, we’d foster better environments in the locker room so more people would come out, or at the very least, we’d create a space where people wouldn’t run from sport, from men’s team sports, and would feel safe to be fans of it.”

With the popularity of “Heated Rivalry” comes opportunity.

On social media, Nurse is seeing people who’ve never paid attention to hockey that suddenly interested in the sport.

“I scroll on TikTok, and there are people being like, ‘I’ve watched “Heated Rivalry,” so I want to see what this hockey thing’s about,” she said. “And I think it’s funny that people are watching Heated Rivalry and they’re pointing to the PWHL, being like ‘Hey, there’s this incredible league that creates an inclusive space.’ So I think that it’s pretty cool.”

The show has piqued the interest of big, untapped markets, including women and LGBTQ+ people, McGillis said, and that’s where it can have “a massive impact.”

Whether those new fans will eventually translate into a safer space for openly gay players, though, remains to be seen.

“I think there’s a big distinction between fan culture and locker room culture, and they’re almost two different worlds altogether,” McGillis said. “And I think the show is more suited to help foster spaces for fan culture where the more numbers we have, the better people are going to feel. They’re going to feel seen and safe and everything else to exist in it.”

Even those involved in creating “Heated Rivalry” are hopeful it can make a real-world impact.

The way the show been embraced should be recognized, said Canadian actor Francois Arnaud, who plays hockey player Scott Hunter in the series.

“I hope that they see, that the NHL sees, how positively this show was received and that it shows them that there is that the world is more open than maybe they have thought so previously. And that they can themselves make it a welcoming environment for everyone to be themselves and encourage that,” he said. “So that’s all I’m hoping for.”

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has “Heated Rivalry” on his “to watch” list after getting rave reviews from his wife, Olympic champion figure skater Tessa Virtue.

“I know it’s been really popular, and I think that’s great to see,” Rielly said. “It’s obviously a great response to a new Canadian show. And I think that’s really cool. So, good for them, but it’s definitely on the list.”

Some NHL players, including Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk, are hopeful “Heated Rivalry” can spark conversations.

“I think any awareness is always good. And I think that’s something where maybe, for the game of hockey, maybe it makes everyone feel more comfortable and makes it less awkward or wrong or whatever to talk about,” said the forward, who hasn’t watched the show.

“It’s just simple things, like putting (rainbow Pride) tape on your stick. It doesn’t mean much to me, but I know it might mean something to someone else. And I think it’s one of those shows that just opens up another avenue for different fans of the game.”

With a second season of “Heated Rivalry” confirmed and another “Game Changer” book in the works, the conversations are likely to continue.

— With files from Joshua Clipperton and Alex Nino Gheciu in Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

PWHLers, NHL commissioner among fans of gay hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry’

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