Brock McGillis, widely recognized as the first openly gay professional hockey player, is pushing back against claims that HBO’s hit series Heated Rivalry could encourage LGBTQ players in the NHL to come out. While McGillis says he enjoys the show, he believes its impact on real-life hockey culture is being overstated, and could even be counterproductive.
In a recent interview with PinkNews, McGillis said he “wholeheartedly” disagrees with comments made by former NHL player Sean Avery, who suggested the series might help pave the way for the league’s first openly gay active player.
“It’s probably more likely to have an adverse effect on a player coming out,” McGillis said. “And I hate to be negative because 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.”
Heated Rivalry, based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers novels, follows two fictional NHL superstars who secretly carry on a romantic relationship over the course of eight years. Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the series debuted on HBO Max on Nov. 28 after initially being developed for Canadian streamer Crave. The show has quickly built a devoted fan base and was recently renewed for a second season.
The series’ popularity prompted Avery, who played several seasons in the NHL before reinventing himself as a romance novelist, to suggest that its success could inspire players to live more openly. “Heated Rivalry’s success should open the door for the first gay NHL player, if there is one,” Avery told Rolling Stone last week.
McGillis, however, says that optimism does not reflect the realities of professional hockey. He came out publicly in 2016, after retiring from a career that included stints in the Ontario Hockey League and the United Hockey League. Since then, he has become a prominent LGBTQ advocate working to address homophobia in sports.
“When I came out and did interviews, nobody jumped out of the closet,” McGillis told PinkNews. “Nobody’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, this came out and now I’m ready.’ It’s not happening.”
According to McGillis, homophobia in hockey remains deeply ingrained and often normalized, beginning at a young age and carrying through to the professional ranks. While he hopes Heated Rivalry might help fans or loved ones better understand queer relationships, he does not believe it will directly influence closeted NHL players to come out.
“It might help the people around them understand a little more, if they’re dating somebody,” he said. “Hopefully.”
Despite his concerns, McGillis does see one potential source of optimism within hockey culture itself. He argues that the sport’s intense emphasis on teamwork and loyalty could work in a player’s favor if someone were to come out publicly.
“If a player did come out, hockey players would be the most likely to rally around their teammate more than any of the other big sports,” McGillis said.
For now, though, he cautions against assuming that visibility in pop culture automatically translates into safety or acceptance in real life. While Heated Rivalry has been embraced by LGBTQ audiences and allies, McGillis says meaningful change in the NHL will require more than a popular TV serie, it will take sustained effort to challenge long-standing attitudes within the sport.
