BOSTON \u2014 It doesn\u2019t take much for fans to get excited about a matchup featuring the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, considering their long, storied rivalry. But a recent TV show\u2019s eruption could be a factor in increased interest for the latest iteration of this Original Six rivalry.<\/p>\n
Ticketing giant StubHub says it received a surge in interest for Saturday night\u2019s game, six times higher than average. The show, \u201cHeated Rivalry,\u201d on Crave and HBO Max, primarily focuses on a romance between two male hockey players who play for rival Montreal- and Boston-based teams. StubHub says the surge is 35 percent higher than in a typical matchup between the two teams. Finally, 82 percent of those who have purchased tickets are first-time buyers, three times more than usual.<\/p>\n
While tickets remain available, the cheapest seats \u2014 as of Thursday night \u2014 are $199 USD each from the TD Garden\u2019s balcony zone. If you\u2019re looking to spend big, two pairs of tickets near center ice flanking the arena\u2019s penalty boxes are at $16,068 each \u2014 down from $22,112.<\/p>\n
In late December, the Bruins\u2019 social media team referenced the show in a post during a previous Canadiens-Bruins matchup in Boston.<\/p>\n
Heated rivalry \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udcaa pic.twitter.com\/8898dRoI47<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n On Friday, the team also referenced the show in another post previewing the Saturday matchup.<\/p>\n Tomorrow\u2019s weather forecast at TD Garden. pic.twitter.com\/zrx93XCjaD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Kevin Corsino, 33, is from Belmont, Mass. Corsino is a board member of Boston Pride Hockey, an LGBTQ+ hockey league that hosts twice-weekly games in the greater Boston area. He grew up in a hockey-loving family and has played for as long as he can remember.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing because with the show, the Boston-Montreal dynamic is so true to what we see. Certainly for folks like Boston Pride Hockey, certainly for myself and other members, you do kind of see a little bit of similarity. You kind of see yourself in the mirror. You\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my God, this is in our backyard. This could be like the Bruins and Canadiens.\u2019 Obviously it\u2019s not, but it\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Corsino used to play in men\u2019s leagues when he was in college. He did not enjoy the atmosphere.<\/p>\n \u201cI never felt like there was a space for being able to be open, be a little bit more myself. It wasn\u2019t really a welcoming environment,\u201d Corsino said. \u201cThat was for the majority of my time growing up. There was a lot of battling homophobia and slurs. Around college time, I started to explore other options that were a little more queer-friendly, ally-friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n The growing interest hasn\u2019t been limited to Canadiens and Bruins games. NHL single-game ticket sales on StubHub are up 82 percent compared to last season. The ticketing company also says it has seen a 40 percent increase in general interest for NHL tickets and a 75 percent surge in NHL ticket searches, as well as a 5 percent increase in first-time NHL ticket buyers since the show first aired on Nov. 28, 2025.<\/p>\n The show has become a talking point for discussions about hockey culture and its relationship with the LGBTQ+ community. Last week, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he binged the entire show in one night while adding that the league has \u201cmeaningfully embraced\u201d the LGBTQ+ community thanks to a list of initiatives and partnerships. Earlier that day, \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d actor Fran\u00e7ois Arnaud called on the league to show \u201cactual openness to diversity.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Corsino said that the virality of the show is helping people think more about conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion in the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an entertaining show for sure. But I think further than just the entertainment factor is the ability for a show to spark conversations we\u2019re having right now. It\u2019s the ability for folks to say, \u2018Hey, they\u2019re like me and they\u2019re doing the game. They\u2019re playing the game. They\u2019re in the game. There\u2019s a space for me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy used rainbow-colored tape on his shaft during warmups on Thursday before the Bruins\u2019 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The Bruins and TD Garden hosted \u201cHockey is for Everyone\u201d Night.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s growing and I think the league\u2019s done great things,\u201d McAvoy said of the event and the growth of \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d in making the LGBTQ+ community more welcome in the NHL. \u201cHere within our room, we\u2019ve tried to do things as well to echo that message and make everyone feel safe and comfortable within the game. It\u2019s very important. I haven\u2019t seen it, but from what I\u2019ve heard of that show, it\u2019s been growing the game a lot in support of that community. That stuff\u2019s all awesome. It\u2019s awesome for hockey. It\u2019s awesome for everybody. I\u2019m happy. I\u2019m happy that we won tonight on this night. Hopefully a lot of people feel the support of the Bruins.\u201d<\/p>\n McAvoy also said he is starting to see more progress toward LGBTQ+ inclusion and acceptance in the NHL.<\/p>\n \u201cI see it in here most definitely. I think you see it in the game too with initiatives like this. I\u2019ve heard so much support from people within those communities that it means a lot to them. So it\u2019s the least we can do to show our support and show we\u2019re all on the same team.\u201d<\/p>\n Corsino also thinks \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d is pushing acceptance in the right direction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a show that people are attracted to (and) they want to see more of. I think that\u2019s really telling. There\u2019s been so many immense strides over the years around acceptance and visibility in the sport. We\u2019ve got to continue that. We want to make sure that folks can see themselves in the game and feel like there\u2019s a space for them.\u201d<\/p>\n