“Heated Rivalry” has taken the world by storm; no matter who you are or what you watch, almost everybody has heard of ‘the gay hockey show.’ However, the impact of “Heated Rivalry” runs deeper than what meets the eye. It is not only popular because of its enthralling plot and fantastic characterization, but because of its unprecedented queer representation.

In every aspect, “Heated Rivalry” is a game-changer.

The show takes place from 2008 to 2018 and centers around professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. It follows them through their careers, relationships, and evolving struggles with being queer in their potentially hostile work environment.

Junior Sofie Dogwill shared her thoughts on the show: “There had never been an openly queer person in their line of work, and they’re also at the very top, they’re icons of their sport. I thought it was a really special show, because it also put the spotlight on those two people that were in such a homophobic world and followed their relationship.”

One of the most valued aspects of “Heated Rivalry” is its combination of well-rounded characters, hockey and love.

“It is a love story between two equals; in the sense of patriarchy, there’s no power imbalance there. But it also is a love story between two athletes, two men in similar positions in life, dealing with similar struggles. And I think that’s why it’s done so well,” history teacher Varsha Venkatasubramanian said.

Many shows and movies have a singular theme that the storyline relies on: love, tragedy or action. “Heated Rivalry” blends these to create more complex characters and story arcs.

“It’s very clear the kind of pressures that go into being a professional athlete, as well as coming out and or being queer in America or being queer in the world,”

Venkatasubramanian said. “‘[Heated Rivalry]’ did a really good job of sort of melding those two stories.”

Dogwill, too, noted the depth of characters through the cohesion of love and hockey, and how it’s impactful for society.

“It also shows someone with a queer identity isn’t their whole entire self, and I think ‘Heated Rivalry’ did a really good job of portraying that,” she said.
By creating a show with both professional and romantic storylines, author Rachel Reid and director Jacob Tierney nullified stereotypes that plague the gay community today. Junior Miles Messier noted the diversity in gay representation in the show.

“I think it did [dismantle stereotypes], because you don’t usually see a masculine gay guy,” he said.

For decades, stigma around gender and sexuality in Hollywood has been pronounced. In the 1920s, comedies like Charlie Chaplin films made queerness something to laugh at. An unspoken rule was instituted that characters had to have consequences for “immoral” actions, including queerness.

In 1930, the Hays Code was created. The Hays Code was a censorship system that prevented Hollywood filmmakers from promoting sympathy for those guilty of “crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.” Some of these sins included “seduction, lustful embraces and open-mouthed kissing.”

After this, the representation of queer characters significantly decreased; queerness was reserved for villains and characters who wound up dead.

An alternative to queer censorship was to make a character queer-coded, only hinted at being gay through stereotypical hobbies, personality traits or physical attributes. Queer-coding began as a way to encourage representation, but was built on by homophobic stereotypes and negative portrayals, and characters still were often villains or dead.

After decades of queerbaiting and queer-coded characters, an outwardly gay couple feels like a breath of fresh air.

“I feel like this is one of the first shows I’ve seen where it’s just there, and it’s not trying to have it be kind of mysterious and kind of iffy,” senior Thomas Ferguson said. “There have been shows recently that have kind of seemed like [queer people] might be represented, and then they don’t end up having that, which is really frustrating for people.”

The Hays Code was finally repealed in 1968, giving way to more queer representation. However, the societal response to being gay was still negative. Queer characters and relationships were often portrayed as predatory or evil, and the trope of a tragic ending carried through.

On the off-chance that queer people were put in a positive light, they were used as comedic relief, playing on stereotypes or developed one-dimensionally. The refusal to feed into stereotypes is one of the principal reasons that “Heated Rivalry” stands out. Even among increasingly positive representations in modern media, queer character arcs are often dulled to make their sexuality the focal point of the story. But not for Shane and Ilya. Venkatasubramanian noted character development as a valuable part of the story.

“It doesn’t flatten the characters or the characters’ struggles, and it doesn’t flatten the experience of being a man playing sports,” she said.

“Heated Rivalry” also counters the traditional trope of queer tragedy. Dogwill appreciated this change. “I like how it’s a queer story and has a good ending that’s not actually tragic like a lot of queer media is…it’s a queer love story, but successful,” she said.

The recognition and success of the show has the public excited and hopeful for more queer representation. This portrayal of queer athletes, specifically in hockey, encouraged former NHL player Jesse Korteum to come out publicly. Additionally, actor Hudson Williams, who plays Shane Hollander, said numerous athletes have reached out and thanked him.

Ferguson noted a gap in queer representation after watching the show.

“[‘Heated Rivalry’] made me realize how little [queer representation] there is. It’s something that’s talked about in politics a surprising amount for something that doesn’t really seem as apparent as it should be,” he said.

The show quickly garnered over 10.6 million U.S. viewers on streaming platform HBO Max, as of February. The success of the show is indicative of a change in the reception of queer representation in media, countering prior Hollywood beliefs.
“It shows you that good representation doesn’t have to be slapstick comedy to have a happy ending. Nor does it have to be incredibly tragic,” Venkatasubramanian said.

Dogwill hopes to see a more welcoming environment regarding gender and sexuality in the wake of “Heated Rivalry”’s success. “I feel like even in 2026, there’s such a stigma around sexuality. I think [‘Heated Rivalry’] is bringing, hopefully, more of a normalcy than there already is to queer people … I think it’s really impacting the world in the way that it’s showing that queerness isn’t some revolutionary thing, it’s normal,” she said.

Despite its risque reputation and dulled slogan as ‘the gay hockey show,’ “Heated Rivalry” sets a new precedent for queer representation in media, without death, tragedy or the softening of characters. “Heated Rivalry” not only offers quality entertainment and a beautiful love story, but an opportunity for a more inclusive media and world.