The Current - Heated Rivalry is a hit, but can it change hockey culture?

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

The hit Canadian TV show that follows the secret relationship between hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov is everywhere right now. It's prompting conversations online about LGBTQ love and hockey culture. We speak with Matt Kenny, a former competitive hockey player, who had a similar experience to the fictional characters about why the show is striking such a chord with people. Plus Brock McGillis, one of the first male professional hockey players to come out as gay, talks about why he thinks there's still more work to do in making hockey a more inclusive sport. 

Things at the precinct haven't been the same. I know we've been understaffed since Ellis left, but maybe today things will turn around. But now, the most unlikely fare is back on the case. Hey, Max, you miss me? The dream team's back together. Yeah, I guess it is. And on each other's.

Are you going to be able to keep it together on this one? I am nothing if not profesh. Wildcards. New season. Watch free on CBC Jam. This is a CBC podcast. Hello, I'm Matt Galloway, and this is the current podcast. You know, these days, it seems like everyone is talking about one TV program,

and that program is Heated Rivalry. The way that I just sobbed my way through the entire episode five of Heated Rivalry, I'll never recover. They say, hey, have you watched this gay, hockey TV show. All the women are loving it. What is this new show you're watching? Tell us about it. I'm watching a new show

that a lot of people are watching and it's called Heated Rivalry. The show has given us something to celebrate. If I was a kid who had that TV show at 16, boy, oh boy, things would be so much more different. Apparently, episode 5 of Heated Rivalry is the number one rated episode on IMDB. Well, yes.

Like, deserve. That is truly one of the best episodes of television I have ever seen. Has heated a rivalry made everybody insane? Yes. Yes. Is this a heated rivalry effect? Yes, it is. What is going on?

In case you haven't heard, this Canadian TV series follows professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosenoff. The two men start a years-long secret relationship that begins after a charged moment in the locker room showers. What is your room number? 1410? Well, if I come to 1410 tonight, it's 9 o'clock. I might open? I might knock.

This show shot on a shoestring budget in Canada is now a global sensation, as you heard, and it's prompting lots of conversations online about LGBTQ love and about hockey culture. Matt Kenney is one viewer whose posts about this program have gone viral. Matt played competitive hockey as a teen in Canada, left the sport when he felt he couldn't express his sexuality safely and still be a hockey player. He's on the line now from his home in California. Matt, good morning. Good morning, Matt. How are you?

I'm really well. You wrote that on Christmas Eve, after everyone went to bed, you pressed play on heated rivalry. And these are your words. I knew it would be hard. I didn't expect it would break me. Tell me about watching heated rivalry. Yeah, for sure. Thank you so much for having me.

I think we're having a really important kind of cultural moment. So when I push play on this show, I thought I was going to be watching a TV show about, you know, some sexy hockey dudes. But what happened was it, my eyes kind of started watching something I thought I had survived and buried. It felt super private. And suddenly this whole experience was kind of being thrown back at me, a story that I thought only two people kind of knew about. And somehow I'm sitting here watching it on television. And it terrified me. I think for myself and for other people that have heard from it, you know, sent everybody

back to a place that we weren't necessarily prepared to visit and, you know, could see ourselves in these characters and in these subtle nuances of these characters. And I think it wasn't necessarily a specific storyline. It was this heavy feeling that hung over everything, which was, you know, the fear, the joy, the secrecy of love that was. never supposed to exist in daylight and you know internal homophobia and shame um shame that players like me wore like a second skin you didn't make it through the first episode you said i didn't no not the first not the first time i was probably about 20 25 minutes in and uh i was overcome

with a panic attack and i couldn't breathe and i mean to be perfect honest panic attack lasted about five days in terms of just shallow breath and this like heaviness that's out of my chest as I you know I guess the way looking back on it now it was more like my body was having this reaction and my brain couldn't catch up because these things had kind of been buried so deeply in my psyche and they were being you know ripped back out and pulling me back underwater when you were a teenager you say that that hockey was your life right yeah yeah I played competitive hockey from I mean probably like five, six years old all the way to the 1718. I played, you know, rep travel.

I played for high school teams. And it was everything. It was, you know, four or five, six days a week. It was long bus rides for two different provinces to play. It was late nights, early mornings, getting home at 2 a.m. And trying to catch a couple hours sleep and get to school and write a test and do it all again. And then you left the sport. You walked away.

I did, yeah. A lot of things kind of happen. So like we saw in Heated Rivalry, I had a similar experience with another hockey player. And like, you know, so many closeted athletes, I think part of what this show did as well was represent this joy that none of us. Well, I can't say none, but most of us didn't end up seeing. We're so kind of conditioned to see these gay stories as trauma. and mine personally ended, you know, in a very different way than what we saw in heated rivalry. And when that all happened, it kind of just broke me in a way where I reevaluated everything and made some very drastic decisions.

And one of them, unfortunately, in retrospect, was to hang at my skates and get away. It just kind of felt like I was giving everything to this sport. And deep down inside, I just knew that this sport I loved probably wasn't able to, love me back it wasn't it what do you mean by that it wasn't able to love you back well speaking that way is more what matt you know thought about back then it was more just you know this these worlds that we create especially and for the purpose of this conversation today with you matt um speaking you know specifically about hockey um these kind of hyper masculine worlds that we've created where men kind of have to act in a very specific way um that they're not allowed to

to have emotions that go outside the norm of what we've kind of deemed masculine and male sport. So when you're sitting in an environment where, I mean, I was very lucky. I didn't experience direct to my face hate, homophobia. I know other players have. What I experienced was something much subtler was, you know, sitting in a dressing room and hearing kind of conversations that are happening and, um tying up your skates and tying your skates and then all of a sudden you hear the f word um the one that's used towards gay people the one that you know that's meant to to mean people and signal to you that you're somehow less of a man um when you're in that environment and you're hearing all about these you know this locker room talk who you hooked up with what you did with girls expectations um and you know well expectations we're kind of seeing play out in some courts today but you'd be sitting there surrounded by the people you love most in the world like you're you're you're you're brothers, your family, and then something would shift in the blink of a hot eye, you'd hear this

word. And it just felt like, you know, a million paper cuts. You'd keep your head down, but not too long. So you got to look back up, but not at anyone. You don't react. You kind of freeze. Don't get everything away. And then it just happens over and over and over again. And so you just, you just learned to survive. And eventually, it just felt like those daggers were coming, you know, repeatedly. And you're in a world where you're, kind of constantly calculating and reacting and lying and performing. And so eventually it just becomes too much in the weight of that, you know, eventually pushed me to walk away from that.

And so is that why going back to that time and watching this series? Is that why those early moments of episode one is used to kind of broke you? Yeah, I think so. Absolutely. I think it's that. And I think it's the, you know, this relationship that I had with another player as well that existed only in secret and in shame and in shadow and when you're seeing it on TV, you know, the gay community and that's the full gay community, not just men, aren't used to seeing those stories out in

light. We're not used to seeing them, A, out in the light, be not end in tragedy, and C, watch the world radically embrace something that you kind of carried intense, shame. over for you know many years so we started and this is about that idea of of seeing those kind of moments on a screen we started talking about the first episode um i want to play something from the last episode and if people haven't seen this i mean plug your ears and go la la la for 30 seconds um because this is a key scene in the final episode of the first season where Shane is talking about his sexuality with his mom for the very first time have a listen mom um I need you to know that I did really try.

I tried really hard, but I just can't help it. I'm sorry. Oh, no, you have nothing. Nothing to apologize for. In your Instagram post, you wrote, these stories matter, visibility matters. What do you think it means for a young person today to see a scene like that and a show that is, and it is. It's like the show that everybody is talking about now.

Yeah, I mean, it's going to change lives. So many younger people are living in shadows and living in fear of coming out. Even people who are in incredibly supportive and loving environments, even if you're kind of inner circle is that way, the greater world isn't. Part of when I shared what I shared on Instagram,

like I woke up three times that night, you know, panicking. take it down, deleted, deleted, you've put something out in the world that isn't safe. And by doing so, you know, putting your heart on display like that automatically puts a bullseye on you. You felt unsafe even now? Yeah, I mean, sure. Yeah. When your producers reached out, my immediate reaction was absolutely not.

Do not make yourself public. Do not put yourself out there. You know, people, the world isn't necessarily fully embracing of real gay people. the way that it is, you know, characters on TV. Now, is that changing? I absolutely do think it's changing. And part of why I'm here to talking to you is because we need more voices speaking up. We need more voices so that characters like that become real life who maybe don't even have to come out because it just becomes so normalized that they can just be that from the minute. They kind of realized this was the way they are. But one of the reasons why we wanted to talk to you

was the post, but also the response to the post. There are comments that go on and on. I just want to read one. One says, as the mom of a 10-year-old boy who loves hockey and has a crush on his bestie, thank you for existing. I hope we are raising men who will keep each other safe and make space for everyone's joy. I mean, given the fear that you had, waking up in the middle of the night, wondering whether you should take the post down. When you read that, what's your response? I mean, it's overwhelming. I don't even think covers it. I have been blown away by the response to this. I mean, anyone who has no idea what's going on, I threw out, you know, a post telling my story openly and honestly. And across a couple posts now, it's, it's hit

over a million people. It has, you know, over hundreds of thousands of likes. It's got probably 60, 70, 80,000 comments. And if you look at the comments, and unfortunately, because I'm a bit of a masochist, I've read most of them, it's, I don't even have words because there isn't a single negative comment on anything. My inbox is flooded. I have over 700 messages from people and trying to read every one of them and they're all the exact same. They're not gay men athletes. They are people who have kind of lived in shame trying to figure out how who they are and sport can coincide. I have heard from, I have a couple, you know, there's professional athletes who are in the closet, people dating professional athletes who they can't, you know, don't feel like they can be public.

I have former athletes. I have a lot of parents who either have gay children who are competing. I have a heartbreaking story from a mother. Her 16-year-old son just came out to her. He's being scouted right now. And the kid knows he can't come out or doesn't feel like he can come out because, you know, contract, sponsorships and careers are on the line. So the response to this for me has, you know, healed me isn't even the right word because the little kid. kid that I was that was so terrified of everything that I was and didn't think that the world

could ever accept is starting to realize that, you know, this world that we're currently living in might just be able to do so, which is why I'm kind of turning up the volume in terms of making sure the younger generation or, you know, the current generation that's maybe struggling as well sees. These are real things. And if that means, means I put myself on the line for that, then, you know, let's do it. Good on you for doing that. Just fine, I got to let you go. But one of the other parts of this is you've been back out on the ice, right?

Yeah, yeah, this week. Yeah, for the first time in well over a decade, even just skating. So I'm in California, and I saw that there was a public skate. So I, you know, went and got back out on the ice. It felt amazing. And I'm kind of determined to get back on the ice in full hockey gear. So it's slow but sure, but I, you know, goals for 2026 is repairing my relationship with hockey. I'm really glad to have the chance to talk to you.

Thanks for posting what you did. I'm glad that you did it. And you know the response. It's been really, really powerful. Matt, thank you. Thank you so much. Matt Kenney grew up playing competitive hockey in Ontario. Now lives in California.

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Given how popular heated rivalry is right now, could it, as Matt was saying, perhaps change hockey culture even encourage more players who don't feel that they can come out of the closet to be their full selves while they're playing this game. It is a question one reporter put to Francois Arnault, Canadian actor who plays hockey player Scott Hunter in the series. I think it's great. I just hope that it brings on like actual change

in the league and that like it has a real influence on how they treat their own players and the possibility of that. Because it's not historically the most open not the association. Brock McGillis is a former professional hockey player, one of the first male pro players to come out as gay. He now works as an advocate for LGBT rights and inclusion in sport touring the country and speaking with players.

Brock, good morning to you. Good morning, Matt. How are you? I'm well. You've said that this is a show for the girls, the gays, and the days. Tell me about what you think the impact of heated rivalry could be. Well, I mean, If you look at most content around hockey or sports, traditionally it's made for men, you know, the traditional hockey bro, the football bro, etc. And this is a show that, you know, I mean, it is hockey, but it's a gay love story and it's pretty wonderful to see and for so many people to feel represented by a show. and in a sport that is so hyper-masculine.

One of the things that people have really responded to in the series itself is that pivotal scene where the character Scott Hunter wins the cup and then comes out by bringing his boyfriend out onto the ice after and kissing him in front of everybody in this pivotal moment of his hockey career. What kind of difference do you think a scene like that can make? I mean, I think what it does is it romanticizes. We don't get those stories. We get tragic AIDS stories or HIV,

and we get gay bashing, and we get deviant sex, and we don't get a ton of love stories ever. And to have it in this really, you know, contrasting this really love contrasting this toughness, hockey, is so unique and beautiful. And it's incredibly powerful. I think it'll be great for those who watch and want to have, you know, their own love story and see that, you know, maybe it is possible.

You've talked about the culture of sameness in hockey, the fact that, you know, in a dressing room, you can talk about four things. You can talk about women, video games, partying, and sports. sports. You're now out on tour, you're in Halifax this morning, speaking with players about how to make hockey more inclusive. What do they tell you about that environment? Is that environment any different than when you played? Oh, it's definitely different than what I played. I mean, it's surely evolved. I mean, isn't where we want it to be? Absolutely not. And, you know, it's interesting because my work's evolved to the point where the straight white bros can't be

themselves and and they talk about those two things and then maybe music and depending on their age potentially gambling um and that's it they can't talk about anything else because that's that's the code that's the culture yeah essentially and and the rest is taboo that you have to conform otherwise you're the weirdo you know and you might as well be the gay guy and so they adhere to these norms, but there's so much more to them. So a lot of my work is challenging them to be brave enough to not adhere to that, to share more of themselves and watching players across the country from professionals down to kids share more. And when the straight white pros who make up the vast majority of the room can be more of themselves, then maybe other people

can share who they are. How receptive are to that, are they to that message? And do they think that something like that is possible. Oh, when they are given permission to be themselves and share even, tell me somebody like somebody you don't like something about you and you're going to have two minutes, you're going to have superficial kind of BS answers, and then you're going to have the real one, the brave one, when you're afraid to share, and when they're given permission to do so, and when one person share something brave, it's like a domino effect through out the entire room and it's just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and it's so powerful.

I would say in the past two and a bit months I've had over 250 players share that they've self-harmed, had suicidal ideation or tried to die by suicide. And the fact that they would share that with you, says something. They've known me for an hour. And they're sharing that with their teams. Everyone's in tears, hugging each other,

supporting each other. It's men supporting men, boys supporting boys, and girls supporting girls, women supporting women. And it's incredibly powerful. I want to play you something from a hockey podcast called Empty Netters. This is hosted by three straight guys. They mostly talk about the latest in the NHL. And they've been doing live streams and reviews of all of the heated rivalry episodes.

Listen to this. I cannot believe I thought I enjoyed television before I saw this episode. I am in shock. I am in shambles. I don't even know what to say. This is insane. There are just so many different moments that we can... People told us we were going to cry.

But I don't even know which part they were talking about because there are many. This is in some ways the biggest hockey story right now. And I wonder whether you think it will... I mean, is it being talked about on Hockey Night in Canada? Is it being talked about in the broadcasts of the World Junior Championship, for example? And if it were to be, what difference would that make? I think, well,

Maybe somebody hearing it, well, you know, I know for me, in some instances as a kid, I might have pushed further away just because the fear of the impact it might have on my career. But I would have felt hope. I think it's a misopportunity if people aren't talking about it. I mean, how do you not take the most popular show on television that's about this sport and utilize it? What would you want to hear from the NHL, for example? The NHL has tied itself in knots over, for example, bands on Pride tape that it then had reverse bands on Pride jerseys, for example, and try to figure out whether players can wear Pride jerseys. But there's a spokesperson for the NHL saying that in the NHL's 108-year history,

this might be the most unique driver for creating new fans. What would you want to hear from the National Hockey League about this? And listen, the National Hockey League is a sponsor of mine on my tour, and they support my work, and I'm thoroughly grateful. But whether it's the league and more in particular, their media partners, this is great, and you have an opportunity now where all content for this sport is traditionally created, especially by, you know, mainstream media for the straight white

bro, for the hockey bro. And that's great. Keep creating that. You need to. But 42% of hockey fans in America are women. Over 20% of hockey fans in America are LGBT plus. That is before their show. You have a prime opportunity to grow your fan base, hockey viewership in America's

down lowest numbers they've had they need ways to drive fan bases and viewership and to get more people enticed in hockey leverage this use it it's right there you just wonder what they're afraid of well it's now's the time and listen do leagues make content yeah do more so do the media make on it yes so mainstream media take this rate other things. Don't just stop as a one-off and make memes about heat arrival rate. No, use it as an opportunity to get creative and to make other content for these demographics that traditionally don't get content made for them.

I have to let you go. But, I mean, Matt talked about the idea that this is an opportunity, not just to change culture, but to save lives. It's a TV show, but it seems like it will have a bigger impact than just ratings, if I can put it that way. I mean, I hope so. I don't know. I mean, it's tough to predict how TV does that, but I hope everyone who watches it gets, you know,

something good from it. And I hope people who, you know, wouldn't traditionally watch a gay show do because they'll see the impact and the struggle and the hardships that people go through to be themselves. Brock, it's good to talk to you. Thank you very much. Great to talk to you, too, Matt. Have a great day. And you, Brock McGillis, is a former professional hockey player,

one of the first pro players to come out as gay now speaks with young athletes across the country. He's in Halifax doing just that this morning. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.