Heated Rivalry has become a true cultural phenomenon, and while the show about rivals-to-lovers closeted hockey players who find love on the ice may be pure fiction, there are plenty of queer athletes with similar stories.
There are hockey stars who found love with a rival, athletes who spent years in the closet while loving a fellow athlete behind closed doors, and even a hockey player who came out after being inspired by the show that millions of people are now obsessed with.
These real-life Shane and Ilyas found love in the most unexpected places!
Jesse Kortuem
Jesse Kortuem
Courtesy of Jesse Kortuem
While he may not have played in the NHL, hockey player Jesse Kortuem recently came out as gay after being inspired by the events of Heated Rivalry. Kortuem told Out Magazine that there “are a lot of Shanes, Scotts, Ilyas out there currently in the hockey world that are feeling alone” and says they are likely being “hit hard” by the gay hockey series just like he was. "I loved the game, but I lived with a persistent fear,” he said of playing in a hockey league while being closeted. “I wondered how I could be gay and still play such a tough and masculine sport.”
Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen
Hockey greats Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen are currently busy living out their very own sapphic version of Heated Rivalry. Not only do they play for opposing PWHL teams — the Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge, respectively — but they are about to go head-to-head on rival teams at the upcoming Olympics, just like Shane and Ilya, where Kjellbin is competing for Sweden and Savolainen for Finland.
Aiden Phipps and Cole Philpott
College baseball players Aiden Phipps and Cole Philpott are living out a real rivals-to-lovers romance. After watching Phipps pitch on an opposing team, Philpott slid into his DMs, which eventually led to a romance. Just like Shane, Phipps wasn’t out yet, and both young men worried how their rival teams would feel if they found out they were dating. Thankfully, both teams were accepting of their relationship and Philpott and Phipps are still boyfriends today.
Nicolás Keenan and Rob Jetten
Although their relationship has been compared to Red, White & Royal Blue, bisexual Olympic field hockey player Nicolás Keenan recently opened up on social media about how the plot of Heated Rivalry reminded him of his romance with his fiancé, Dutch politician Rob Jetten. Keenan wrote on his Instagram stories that he related to the relationship between closeted hockey player Scott Hunter and smoothie barista Kip Grady in episode 3. “Secret love behind four walls… been there, done that,” he wrote.
Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette
Former Olympic hockey players Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette lived out their very own lesbian version of Heated Rivalry when they were both rivals on the ice. The two women first competed against each other at the 2002 Olympics before they started dating, and just like Shane and Ilya, Chu and Ouellette were captains on rival hockey teams. They stayed in the closet for years but were eventually able to come out and now share two children.
Conor McDermott-Mostowy
@conor.mm/Instagram
