Having a boyfriend may now be considered a little uncool, but there seems to be an exception emerging. Sure, having a nonchalant partner who treats romance as a chore is embarrassing — but if you happen to have a man who saves that tough exterior strictly for the rinks, pop culture is asking you to not break up with him, because hockey players are now becoming the internet’s new favourite boyfriends!
Nobody should be watching the front door all night, willing their boyfriends to show up and be the partner they promised to be — but unfortunately, many of us (Taylor Swift included) have already done that in the past.
But if the internet is to be believed, history has no plans to repeat itself, and we have some fictional hockey players to thank for that. (Yes, the collective standard for modern dating now rests on the shoulders of fictional characters. The bar truly is in hell.)
Now, of course, the question remains: how did these fictional hockey players turn into a pop-cultural phenomenon? And what makes them so “boyfriendable” according to the internet?
Well, let the puck drop and the face-off begin — because we are about to answer all your burning questions!
Internet-approved boyfriends: Are hockey players really redefining romance for us all?
Yes, they are. And the pioneers of this shift are none other than pop culture’s current favourite on-screen couple: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. For those who have been living under a rock, Shane (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya (played by Connor Storrie) are the two lead characters in the queer hockey romance drama series Heated Rivalry (2025–).
Adapted from Rachel Reid’s queer sports romance book series Game Changers (2018–2027), the show follows Shane and Ilya, two rival ice hockey stars who slowly fall in love with each other, complicating both their personal and professional lives.
Heated Rivalry has all of the romance genre’s big three: a steamy enemies-to-lovers trope, a good old slow burn, and, of course, an irresistible forbidden love story.
You can see why it has taken the world by storm now, right?
But even though Heated Rivalry is now Crave’s most-watched original series in Canada and HBO Max’s top-rated non-animated acquired series in the US, there have also been other fictional hockey players in the past who have earned boyfriend status on the internet.
What is it about hockey players that appeals to the internet so much?
Well, there is no denying that the sexual appeal of hockey players plays a big role in cementing their place on the internet as ideal boyfriends. But there’s more to it than meets the eye.
According to CNN, characters such as Shane and Ilya are showing the audience what it means to be a good partner — not just romantically, but also in a broader cultural sense. In today’s time, yearning has become a lost art, but these hockey players move past the hookup culture and tap into real vulnerability and connection.
Similarly, through literature, TV series and other media, these hockey players have also been directly challenging the rigid conceptions of hypermasculinity long associated with male athletes.
Historically, romance has always been dismissed as a feminine trait, so when hypermasculine athletes such as hockey players — who are supposed to be rugged, aggressive and emotionally stunted men — express longing, dependence and fear, it naturally rattles the internet, thereby changing the narrative around what boyfriends are supposed to look like.
But it is not just us who think this. In 2026, Jesse Kortuem, a real-life hockey player who parted ways with the sport because of its toxic hypermasculine environment, came out as gay after Heated Rivalry inspired him and led him to believe that attitudes within the sport had shifted for the better.
Speaking to Out, he said, “I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry‘s success. Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport. I’ve struggled the last few weeks to put these emotions into words, fearing the impact on team dynamics, etc.” He went on to add, “Today, I took the step to finally tell my hockey journey and my story. I’m beyond grateful for all the positive comments I’ve received from past teammates and high school teammates.”
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Meet the internet’s new obsession: Other hockey players worthy of the boyfriend tag
If you thought Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry was the only kind of media making everyone on the internet miss their non-existent boyfriends, think again, because Reid isn’t the only author writing spicy hockey romance novels.
For instance, there is Icebreaker (2022), the first novel in the Maple Hills series by Hannah Grace, which blesses us with the swoonworthy Nate Hawkins, the captain of his university’s hockey team.
Similarly, there is Off Campus (2015–2021), the fan-favourite hockey romance book series by Elle Kennedy. In fact, Prime Video is so taken with it that it has decided to adapt Kennedy’s books into a TV show. Yes, the streaming giant is all set to premiere Off Campus on 13 May 2026! So, fans of Garrett Graham, prepare yourselves, because Belmont Cameli will soon be portraying your favourite all-star hockey athlete on screen.
But hey, Prime Video isn’t the only platform with an upcoming hockey romance drama. According to Variety, Netflix has started production on an untitled eight-episode hockey series starring The White Lotus (2021–) actor Michelle Monaghan.
People of the internet, hockey players are here to change the game of romance — so, are you ready to ditch your red-flag boyfriends for them?
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(Hero and Featured image credit: IMDb)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.