The NHL and “Heated Rivalry”

Source: IMDb

Are you watching?

HBO's 'Heated Rivalry' series finale premiered last night at midnight, and the fan response was instant. My social feeds are on fire! The show, based on Rachel Reid's novel 'Game Changers,' has earned the highest reviews of any HBO series ever.

I’m watching and I’m a fan too. I mean, here I am writing about it!

What I find most interesting, though, is the interest it has sparked in the sport of hockey. Evidently the show has created a spike in new sales and a sharp increase in new fans, so much so that the National Hockey League (NHL) has noticed and made a statement.

“There are so many ways to get hooked on hockey and, in the NHL’s 108-year history, this might be the most unique driver for creating new fans. See you all at the rink.”

“See you ALL at the rink.”

There are so many ways that the NHL could have responded, especially in the environment in which we currently live. We all know the pressure out there, I don’t have to restate it here. The culture wars around LGBTQ+ rights are real. The NHL could have stayed quiet or it also could have quite honestly said something negative as well. We’ve seen the negative comments out there, I don’t have to restate them here. We all feel them.

But the organization chose inclusion.

It chose to embrace the show and its fans and to welcome them into the sport. The NHL showed that the love of the sport, and the love of those that love the sport, to be what’s important for the teams, and it put it out in words that matter so much.

These words matter!

Can you imagine the young hockey fans out there who may be working through their own sexuality and who are watching this show and then reading this statement from the NHL? Can you imagine how much that helps?

I can. Because when I was young there was none of this.

I can. Because elsewhere in the world there is none of this.

Thank you to the author of “Game Changers” for your vision to bring this story to life in its original form. Thank you to the makers of “Heated Rivalry” for bringing this story to the mainstream so that so many can see themselves and see that it’s ok to be themselves. Thank you to the NHL for sealing the message with a big hug. Big hugs back to you all with profound respect.

What’s your experience? JIM