We don’t usually talk about TV on Sportly. But Heated Rivalry made it impossible not to.

What started as a quiet adaptation of a romance novel turned into a full-blown cultural moment—one that pulled queer love, masculinity, and hockey’s long-standing blind spots into the spotlight. NHL teams referenced it. Fans debated it. Players quietly recognized themselves in it.

So what exactly did this show tap into, and why now?

Kavitha Davidson is joined by sports historian Dr. Amira Rose Davis and journalist Dr. Jessica Luther to break down why Heated Rivalry landed so hard, what it reveals about hockey’s culture of silence, and whether pop culture moments like this can actually move a sport forward or just make it uncomfortable for a minute.

This episode digs into queerness in men’s sports, romance as cultural critique, and the tension between representation and real institutional change. It’s about hockey, yes, but it’s also about who gets to feel seen in sports, and who still doesn’t.

If you care about sports culture beyond the scoreboard, this one’s for you.

Sportly is a podcast about sports, culture, politics, and identity, and why the stories behind the games matter just as much as the games themselves.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

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