How Heated Rivalry, ‘Off Campus’ and ‘Shoresy’ are challenging hockey’s old ideas

Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie) face-off in a scene from ‘Heated Rivlary.’ (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max) How Heated Rivalry, Off Campus and Shoresy are challenging hockey’s old ideas Published: September 22, 2026 11.14am EDT Share article Print article Hockey has made it big on the small screen. TV’s buzziest show, Heated Rivalry, debuted in late 2025, with Off Campus following in 2026. They join beloved Canadian show Shoresy, which has a sixth season going into production this fall. These shows all challenge traditional hockey culture in their own ways. Shoresy promotes an inclusive vision of hockey that includes women and Indigenous people in leadership positions. Heated Rivalry‘s queer romance challenges the sport’s longstanding assumptions of heteronormativity. Off Campus highlights the issue of sexual assault within hockey. But as the NHL season begins, a series of controversies suggests that many of the sport’s longstanding cultural issues appear to remain unresolved. Hockey’s culture problem Hockey has long been associated with traditional ideas about masculinity, toughness and heterosexuality. The culture surrounding hockey has historically marginalized women and LGBTQ+ people. Sexist phrases like “puck bunny” are used to diminish female fans, while Hockey Canada’s 2022 discrimination report found that negative comments about sexual orientation and gender identity accounted for 61 per cent of incidents witnessed by officials. Players’ self-reported allegations were most commonly related to race, sexual orientation and gender identity. It is also one of the most expensive sports, with participation typically limited to families who can afford to spend thousands of dollars on equipment, league fees and travel costs. Players and managers in the NHL are predominantly white, with the league having the lowest level of player diversity among the four major North American professional sports leagues. We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada’s Troubled Hockey Culture by Rick Westhead. (Penguin Random House) These issues have become increasingly visible in recent years as hockey organizations have faced pressure to address questions about safety, inclusion and accountability. The publication of TSN reporter Rick Westhead’s book We Breed Lions further intensified national conversations about hockey culture. In it, Westhead documents sexual abuse and hazing in junior hockey and examines the sport’s…