Heated Rivalry Is Bringing New Fans to Hockey. Does the Sport Deserve Them?

Obsession over a show about two closeted hockey players has brought new fandom to the sport just ahead of the Olympics. But men's hockey's lack of support for LGBTQ+ players and fans is notable.

From "big air" to curling, the Olympics are all about people banding together to fixate on sports they barely knew existed a month ago.

Hockey is different. While it’s among the least popular pro sports in the US, it’s a downright national obsession in Canada and has a sizable number of fans year-round. For the 2026 Winter Olympics it has a whole lot more thanks to Heated Rivalry.

The Crave show, which follows closeted pro hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), has seemingly sent the entire world into “mass psychosis.” HBO, which acquired the show for US distribution, is now playing it in well over ...