NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has gone to the cottage.
Bettman revealed on Thursday that he binge-watched all six episodes of the hit Crave series “Heated Rivalry,” calling it a “wonderful story” that may be “a little spicy,” especially for young viewers.
“I thought the storyline was very compelling and a lot of fun because I could see where they were picking at things that we had done in the past, whether or not it was (NHL players taking part in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics) or whether (it was) the All-Star Game in Tampa, (Fla.),” Bettman told hockey reporters in Washington, D.C.
“It was very well done.”
The show follows two rival hockey players, Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov, and their steamy romance over the course of eight years. Hollander plays for the Montreal Metros while Rozanov is the captain of the Boston Raiders, both competing in the fictional Major League Hockey.
It is based on the Game Changers series by Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid. The show, which was mostly filmed in Hamilton and Toronto, became a pop-culture phenomenon over the holidays and continues to gain popularity.
“Heated Rivalry” premiered in the U.S. on HBO Max and has been picked up by different streamers worldwide.
The show’s popularity appears to be having an impact on the NHL.
When a reporter pointed out that ticket sales to hockey games have increased this season, Bettman said he is not surprised by how the sport is growing, crediting “Heated Rivalry” as one of the factors behind it.
“I also think we’re having an amazing season. We set a record attendance last year, and we’re on a pace ahead of that. We’re going to the Olympics,” the commissioner said.
“There are a lot of things about the game that would be driving more and more people to the game, but I do believe Heated Rivalry is one of those.”
No plans to lift ban on Pride jerseys
When asked if the league has plans to welcome the new fans of the sport, especially members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, Bettman maintained that the NHL has always “meaningfully embraced” them.
“I mean, every team does a Pride Night, and there are a whole host of other things we do, including our affiliation with You Can Play (which is an organization that promotes LGBTQ2S+ inclusion in all sports),” Bettman said.
He also insisted that the ban on themed gear and uniforms during warmups was not because of Pride jerseys or Pride tape.
- NHL issues updated theme night guidance, which includes a ban on players using Pride tape on the ice
“It was about the fact of bringing things into the game that might not be embraced by the players wearing the jerseys,” Bettman said.
“It was becoming a distraction, not just for the Pride jerseys, but for a variety of other things that were potential. I think it’s a misrepresentation of what we did to suggest that. It wasn’t about Pride jerseys. It was about the whole issue of what you put on the ice and how players wear it. When some players don’t embrace the cause, whatever it is, then you create a distraction that doesn’t fulfill the purpose.”
When pressed on whether the NHL will allow themed jerseys again, Bettman said it’s not something the league plans to do.
One of the stars of “Heated Rivalry,” Francois Arnaud, said in an interview on SiriusXM this week that if the NHL is capitalizing on the success of the show, it’s “backed up by actual openness to diversity.” He then mentioned the league’s ban on Pride jerseys and tape.
“If you’re going to use our name, let’s back it up with real-life sh**,” said Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, a hockey player who comes out as gay in the show.
“Heated Rivalry” has been renewed for a second season.
CTV News, CP24 and Crave are owned by Bell Media, which is a division of BCE.
