As we make our way into 2026, it seems safe to call Heated Rivalry a television phenomenon, including a Golden Globes appearance for the show’s leading men. The first season of the show, which adapts a bestselling novel and tells the story of the relationship between two gay hockey players, quickly amassed a dedicated following shortly after it debuted. Since then, the show’s fanbase has grown to include, well, a number of insiders in the real-life pro hockey world — including the hosts of the podcast Empty Netters.
Those hosts, Chris and Dan Powers, aren’t alone in their enthusiasm for both the NHL and the world of Heated Rivalry. As The Athletic’s Sean Gentille reports, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently told members of the media that he, too, had been watching the show — and was excited about its prospects for the sport.
To clarify, Bettman didn’t just watch the show — he binged it. “I’ve watched all six episodes,” he said. “I binged it in one night.” He went on to call the show “very compelling and a lot of fun,” though he also noted that the show “might be a little spicy” for younger audiences.
Bettman isn’t off-base (pardon the mixed sports metaphor) in thinking that a popular show set in the hockey world could lead to more people watching actual hockey. There’s certainly evidence that Ted Lasso increased the popularity of soccer in the United States, for instance. And after the first season of Ted Lasso aired, the Premier League signed a high-profile deal with the show allowing for more verisimilitude in its depiction of the league.
Even Straight Hockey Bros Are Obsessed With “Heated Rivalry”
Podcasts like “Empty Netters” are embracing the gay romance, and it’s restoring my faith in humanityThat last part is less applicable here, as the Heated Rivalry books and show focus on a fictional hockey league rather than the real-world NHL. Even so, hockey is hockey. And in his comments to the media, Bettman said that Heated Rivalry was one of several factors that “we think are driving more and more people to the game.”
That enthusiasm is a two-way street: one of the enjoyable aspects of reading Myles McNutt’s Heated Rivalry recaps at Episodic Medium come from McNutt’s exploration of how authentic the on-screen hockey looks. For now, there are a lot of Heated Rivalry enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the show’s second season.
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