NHL commissioner Gary Bettman binged all of Heated Rivalry in one night
Welcome to the Hollanov hive
Everyone and their mother is loving Heated Rivalry, the zesty Canadian television show about queer hockey players that’s become the most-watched original series ever on Crave. (Well, everyone except for the Canada Dry brand of ginger ale, but maybe they’ll tune in soon.)
Related:“We deserve a gay show that is sexy and horny and fun”—Jacob Tierney on his new queer hockey romance, Heated Rivalry
Somehow, amid Heated Rivalry mania, we’ve actually heard very little from the NHL, which is strange because their interests seem aligned. Then again, much of Heated Rivalry deals with the characters’ fears of coming out—men’s hockey isn’t particularly known for being inclusive.
So it was a cute surprise to hear not only that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is aware of the show but that he’s a fan—he binged the entire series in one single night, he said.
“I think it’s a wonderful story,” said Bettman, speaking to reporters. “I thought the storyline was very compelling, and a lot of fun because I could see where they were picking at things that we have done in the past. Whether it was being in Sochi or the All-Star game in Tampa, it was very well done.”
A few years back, the NHL banned Pride-themed hockey jerseys, with Bettman calling Pride colours and other special-occasion uniforms a distraction. Maybe he’ll revise this policy now that he’s officially part of the Hollanov hive.
Related: Heated Rivalry fans have discovered the Hamilton location of a very sweet scene
Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
