Out Gay Hockey Pro Warns About LGBTQ Drama ‘Heated Rivalry

The *Heated Rivalry* debate is getting scalding.

Brock McGillis, who in 2016 became professional hockey’s frist out gay player, thinks the viral LGBTQ sports series is entertaining, but not especially empowering.

“Nobody’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. this came out and now I’m ready [to come out].’ It’s not happening,” he told the LGBTQ news site PinkNews on Monday. “It’s probably more likely to have an adverse effect on a player coming out. And I hate to be negative becuase I really enjoy the show.But I also don’t believe that many hockey bros are going to watch it. and I don’t think, if they are watching it, they’re talking about it positively.”

Adapted from a 2019 book by Rachel Reid, the Canadian drama series quickly garnered attention upon its November premiere for its racy intimate scenes and boundary-pushing depiction of a closeted queer romance in the world of professional hockey.

Stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as well as series creator Jacob Tierney, have spoken to their hopes that this slice of queer portrayal will help some of the viewers that it finds, perhaps even within a sport that demands “perfection and masculinity,” as Williams put it in a Forbes interview.