Why Christians should pay attention to the hype of “Heated Rivalry,” and why the show is so transformative
By JoyAnna Bodini
Heated Rivalry has resonated deeply with so many around the world because it portrays queer joy, love, and self-acceptance within a hostile system. The system portrayed in the show is the NHL, but for many watching they can draw personal parallels to other professional sports, their family, or the church. The show is a beautiful illustration that queer people are worthy of happiness despite the narratives that tell them otherwise.
If you haven’t seen the show (or read the books), Heated Rivalry follows two young hockey superstars: Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov. The story follows their decade-long, secret, enemies-to-lovers relationship while being public rivals on the ice. (Spoiler alert: if you haven’t watched it yet, but plan to, stop reading now and come back later.)
Homophobia is a systemic issue in sports. It affects athletes, coaches, and fans, particularly in male-dominated team sports. One character in Heated Rivalry, Scott Hunter, says “When I was a teenager, I realized that I may be that thing that hockey players like to throw around as an insult.” Scott Hunter had to hide his queerness from his friends and coworkers for years, afraid of how they would react. Scott’s need to stay hidden wasn’t about personal shame, but about survival in an environment that constantly signals who does and does not belong.
When I was a teenager, I realized that I may be that thing that hockey players like to throw around as an insult.”
— Scott Hunter, in Heated Rivalry
Even today, in 2026, there are only a handful of queer professional athletes, and barely any in male professional sports. Out of the over 10,000 athletes competing at the Paris Olympic Games, less than 200 were openly queer. As of late 2024, there were zero openly gay or bisexual men actively playing in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL. Why would anyone feel safe coming out when they continually hear who they are being used as an insult? Words have power. When identity becomes an insult, silence becomes a means of survival. The show doesn’t ignore this reality; it confronts it head-on.
A pivotal moment of the show comes at the end of Episode 5, when Scott invites his secret boyfriend down to the ice after winning the Cup. Set to the song “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade, Scott kisses his boyfriend (Kip) in a very public coming out. The scene cuts between the kiss and shots of Shane and Ilya watching the kiss. This moment shows Shane and Ilya that maybe they CAN have what they want. Scott’s story acts as both a warning and a blueprint for Shane and Ilya, showing them what hiding costs and what courage can make possible. It shows them that they can choose to have something good for themselves, despite the fears they have about coming out as queer and a couple.
Against the backdrop of silence and fear, the moments of queer joy do not feel small, they feel revolutionary. Queer joy is the unapologetic celebration of happiness and resilience within the LGBTQIA+ community. It is rare to find this outside of specifically queer spaces. To find it in a “hockey” show (a realm historically for straight, white men) is even more rare.
If I had to show an example of queer joy to someone, I would show them Episode 6 of Heated Rivalry. Ilya and Shane have finally chosen themselves. They get together, secretly, at Shane’s cottage where they can grow and fall further in love. It is a space where they can be completely open and honest about who they are, and how they feel about each other. They’ve seen Scott Hunter experience love and acceptance, and now they choose to defy the odds and chase their own happiness.
The cottage (Episode 6) is what queer people are working towards. The cottage is not just a setting, it is a space where queer people choose themselves despite everything that tells us not to. A safe haven where we can experience good, without pressure, judgement and fear. It isn’t escapism. It is defiance of the systems that seek to harm and belittle us, of parents who don’t accept us, of narratives that are written into our lives without our permission.
When identity becomes an insult, silence becomes a means of survival.
I keep coming back to the show for a few reasons. I see many similarities to my own story in the show. I feel closely aligned with Scott Hunter’s story of fear and hiding, as I struggled to figure out how to tell my family and friends that I was gay. While I wasn’t on a world stage or falling in love with my archrival, I was trying to date and figure out if I really liked girls while trying my hardest not to slip up and tell anyone that I might be queer. Like Shane, I also spent time trying not to be gay, dating men to convince myself I wasn’t attracted to women. Like Shane and Ilya, I have wasted a lot of my life being scared that I might never find the happiness that so many people in my life have, and believing I’m not worthy of good things.
Heated Rivalry is the story of two people who don’t think they are worthy of something good, but who are choosing to have it for themselves anyways. It demonstrates perfectly how, despite the odds, love will find a way: whether it is the captain of a hockey team kissing his boyfriend after winning the Stanley Cup, or choosing to defy the odds and chase happiness at a private cottage vacation.
Another reason that Heated Rivalry is so popular is because there is a lack of good, openly queer, art in popular culture. Often when there are queer characters in books and movies, they don’t get a happily-ever-after. Because, for most of history, queer people didn’t get happy endings. I want to watch movies and read books where queer people get a happy ending. Because I want to see and believe that there is good out there for me too. I want to believe that I don’t have to be afraid of the systems and institutions that try to suppress who I am.
My story isn’t unique. And that is why Heated Rivalry matters. And it’s why more queer literature, film, and art needs to exist. Heated Rivalry needs to exist for the queer kid growing up in a small town thinking they can’t play hockey because they’re gay. For the kid who has never seen a queer person succeed in professional sports. Maybe this show will be the reason they realize they can do it. Maybe this show will be the reason a professional athlete will have the strength to come out. Maybe this show will inspire generations of queer kids around the world. That is a world I want to live in. Where people aren’t afraid to be themselves. Where they aren’t afraid to love radically. To live freely. To choose happiness.
So, why the hype? Heated Rivalry dares to imagine a world where queer people are allowed to choose happiness. Not only that, it shows them how.
And why should Christians care? May our churches, schools and families be the places where queer people can choose happiness too.
– JoyAnna Bodini is a marketing and communications professional with a background in theatre. She graduated from Redeemer’s Theatre program in 2020. When she isn’t working, she enjoys crochet, camping, writing, and scrolling social media. JoyAnna is a proud queer woman, passionate about building a world where everyone can live authentically and with pride.
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