The National Hockey League has issued a new statement acknowledging the impact that the Crave/HBO Max show Heated Rivalry is having on welcoming new fans to professional hockey as a sport.

A new feature story about Heated Rivalry — exploring how the show is catering to a “long-overlooked corner of the audience” and has subsequently “caught Hollywood by surprise” — was published by The Hollywood Reporter today. Unexpectedly, the story includes a statement from the NHL itself.

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“Even the NHL, which in recent years has been trying to broaden its appeal to gay sports fans with LGBTQ-themed events and nights, has expressed delight with the program,” the story on The Hollywood Reporter reads.

The NHL statement in question, shared with the publication in response to the success of Heated Rivalry, reads:

“There are so many ways to get hooked on hockey and, in the NHL’s 108-year history, this might be the most unique driver for creating new fans. See you all at the rink.”

It’s hard to ignore the whimsically vague tone of this NHL statement, though such a thing can be interpreted in different ways. For instance, many hockey fans are thrilled by the idea that Heated Rivalry could deepen the NHL’s support for the LGBTQ+ athletes. Meanwhile, other observers have recalled the league’s ever-changing stance on outwardly supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

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A month and a half prior to the Heated Rivalry premiere, Outsports noted that “the NHL stands alone among the Big 4 men’s pro team sports with no out gay players.” In a recent interview between journalist John Casey and out gay male former pro hockey player Brock McGillis, the athlete recalled how his “career trajectory changed as injuries piled up alongside depression, heavy drinking, and self-harm” while he was still actively playing in the NHL.

Generally, women’s professional hockey leagues have been starkly different. When considering if Heated Rivalry could have a positive impact on the inclusion of more out gay players, Out noted that the Professional Women’s Hockey League has 30 out queer players as of 2025. A similar sentiment was echoed by Heated Rivalry actor Harrison Browne — the first out transgender athlete in professional team sports who came out as a trans man while playing in the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly known as the National Women’s Hockey League) — during an interview with Out.

Alas, the dynamics between the LGBTQ+ community and men’s professional sports leagues — NHL included — haven’t been as peaceful and straightforward. Given that the NHL has now acknowledged Heated Rivalry’s “unique” impact on “creating new fans,” one might consider that there’s still hope for more positive changes.

Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.

This article originally appeared on Out: NHL: Heated Rivalry is ‘unique driver for creating new fans’