Heated Rivalry gave this former hockey player a panic attack — and hope stories like his belong on the ice – CBC

Lead

After watching Crave’s hit series Heated Rivalry on Christmas Eve, former Quebec youth player Matt Kenny experienced a five-day panic attack that reopened memories of hiding his sexuality in the locker room. Kenny — who skated competitively four to six days a week as a child before quitting in his late teens — shared his story on Instagram days later and received hundreds of supportive messages. The series, adapted from Rachel Reid’s novel and described by Crave as its most successful original debut to date, has reignited conversation about gay players in hockey and whether popular culture can shift long-standing locker-room norms. Activists such as Brock McGillis, and even the NHL in public comments, say the show offers an opening to change how the sport treats LGBTQ players and fans.

Key Takeaways

• Matt Kenny, a former competitive player from Quebec, said a panic attack lasted five days after he first watched Heated Rivalry.
• Kenny played hockey four to six days per week as a child and left the sport in his late teens because he felt unsafe as a closeted player.
• Kenny posted about his teenage secret relationship with another player four days after watching the show and has since received hundreds of messages from athletes and parents.
• Heated Rivalry, an adaptation of Rachel Reid’s novel, is Crave’s most successful original-series debut to date and has been renewed for a second season.
• The NHL briefly banned rainbow hockey tape in October 2023 before reversing course after public pushback; the league has said the show is bringing new fans to hockey.
• Former pro Brock McGillis, who played in the OHL and in Europe, is leading a cross-Canada tour (sponsored by the NHL) to challenge locker-room norms and encourage players to share more of themselves.

Background

Hockey has long been associated with hypermasculine norms and a locker-room culture where certain topics dominate conversation and others are sidelined. For many players who are gay or queer, that environment has translated into silence, concealment and in some cases leaving the sport entirely. The National Hockey League has never had a publicly out active NHL player; the league drew attention in October 2023 when it briefly banned the use of rainbow tape on hockey sticks, a move it later walked back after controversy.

Media representation has a track record of influencing public attitudes and helping marginalized people feel visible. Heated Rivalry — a romance about two pro players on opposing teams — presents same-sex love on prime entertainment platforms in a way that many former players say they did not see growing up. Activists and former players argue that visibility on screen can open doors, but they also emphasize that representation alone is not a substitute for structural change in teams, leagues and youth programs.

Main Event

Matt Kenny described how the show’s depiction of two players in love pulled him back into fear and shame he had carried since adolescence. He said watching scenes of affection and joy prompted an intense emotional reaction tied to memories of secrecy and what he called “internal homophobia and shame.” Kenny posted a photo on Instagram juxtaposing his childhood hockey image with the show’s couple and feared backlash; instead he received widespread support from strangers, athletes and parents.

Brock McGillis, who came out after a professional career in the OHL and Europe, said Heated Rivalry hit him hard because the story reflected a reality he knew intimately. McGillis is using the moment to push his cross-Canada outreach, asking players to broaden locker-room conversation beyond narrow topics and to create space for teammates to be more than athletes. He also urged the NHL to leverage the show’s popularity to accelerate cultural change.

The NHL issued a public statement welcoming the new fans drawn to the sport by the show. Jon Weinstein, the league’s chief communications officer, told CBC the phenomenon is bringing new audiences to hockey and said the NHL “welcome[s] every fan to the party.” Meanwhile, Crave has reported strong viewership for the series and greenlit a second season, giving the conversation additional momentum.

Analysis & Implications

Visibility in mainstream storytelling can reduce stigma by normalizing identities that were previously invisible in a given context. Heated Rivalry’s success demonstrates that audiences are ready for narratives that center queer love within sports settings, and this could make it easier for young players to imagine staying in the game openly. For former players like Kenny, the show is both a reminder of past pain and a signal of possible social progress.

However, media representation does not automatically transform institutional cultures. Locker-room norms are reinforced by peer dynamics, coaching practices, and organizational policies; activists caution that leagues and teams must pair celebration of representation with concrete education, reporting mechanisms, and accountability. The NHL’s prior rainbow-tape controversy shows how quickly policy and public perception can diverge without consistent leadership.

There is also a pragmatic opportunity for hockey organizations: capturing new fans drawn to the show can translate into broader support for inclusion initiatives if leagues commit resources to youth programs, diversity training and community outreach. Yet outsiders should be wary of token gestures; sustained change requires long-term investments to ensure players at all levels feel safe and supported.

Comparison & Data

The table above places recent cultural milestones side-by-side to show how media moments and league controversies interact. While Heated Rivalry is a cultural product gaining rapid attention, the 2023 tape episode remains a reminder that policy and practice can lag behind public sentiment. Analysts say tracking concrete indicators — reports of discrimination, retention rates for youth players, and the numbers of self-identified LGBTQ participants in programs — will be necessary to measure real change.

Reactions & Quotes

Several on-record reactions illuminate differing perspectives on the show’s significance and the work ahead.

“It was this heavy feeling that hung over everything… the fear, the joy, the secrecy of love that was never supposed to exist in daylight.”

Matt Kenny, former youth hockey player

Context: Kenny used the quote to describe both the distress and catharsis of seeing queer romance centered in a hockey story, explaining why he posted his own memories on social media.

“I mean, how do you not take the most popular show on television that’s about this sport and utilize it?”

Brock McGillis, former pro player and inclusion advocate

Context: McGillis framed the series as a practical opening for leagues and teams to engage on inclusion and to push players to broaden their locker-room conversations.

“This phenomenon is continuing to bring new fans into the sport of hockey and as stewards of the world’s greatest game, we welcome every fan to the party.”

Jon Weinstein, NHL chief communications officer

Context: The NHL used the statement to emphasize outreach to new audiences, while critics note that public messaging must be matched by policy and practice changes.

Unconfirmed

• Whether Heated Rivalry will directly produce one or more openly gay active NHL players remains unknown and cannot be predicted from current evidence.
• The long-term impact of the series on youth retention of LGBTQ players is not yet measurable and requires systematic data collection over time.
• The hundreds of social messages Kenny received signal strong anecdotal support, but they do not quantify broader opinion among current players at all levels.

Bottom Line

Heated Rivalry has done more than entertain: it has reopened personal wounds for former players and delivered a new symbol of visibility that many say is overdue in hockey. For Matt Kenny and others, the show mixed pain with hope — proof that storytelling can validate experiences long suppressed within locker rooms.

But representation alone is not a policy. If hockey’s institutions want to convert cultural momentum into safer playing environments, they must follow public statements with concrete education, reporting procedures and long-term investment in inclusive youth programming. The coming months — and how leagues, teams and community programs respond — will determine whether this moment becomes a turning point or a temporary cultural ripple.

Sources

• CBC Radio — media (original reporting and interviews)