Game Changer

Game Changer (2018) is a contemporary romance novel by Rachel Reid. It is the first book in the popular Game Changers series, which features interconnected standalone romances set in the world of professional hockey. The story follows Scott Hunter, the closeted captain of the fictional New York Admirals hockey team, who finds his career in a slump. After a chance encounter at a smoothie shop leads to a superstitious pre-game ritual, he begins a secret relationship with Kip Grady, the charming and witty man who works behind the counter. As their feelings deepen, Scott must navigate the intense pressures of the NHL playoffs while confronting the fear of his private life being exposed. Through their relationship, the novel explores themes of The Conflict Between Public Persona and Private Self, Vulnerability as a Catalyst for Growth and Success, and Redefining Masculinity in a Hypermasculine World.

The novel engages with the culture of hypermasculinity and anti-gay bias prevalent in professional sports, grounding Scott’s anxieties in the real-world context that, at the time of publication, no active National Hockey League (NHL) player had publicly come out as gay. Game Changer became a USA Today bestseller and is celebrated for its role in popularizing the M/M (male/male) hockey romance subgenre. The series continues with several more books, including the acclaimed Heated Rivalry (2019) , which focuses on Scott’s on-ice nemesis, Ilya Rozanov.

This guide refers to the 2024 Carina Press edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain depictions of anti-gay bias, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

Twenty-five-year-old Kip Grady works at a Manhattan smoothie shop called Straw+Berry. One morning, he serves a handsome man in workout clothes and is immediately attracted to him. After the man leaves a large tip and departs, Kip’s coworker, Maria, and a customer identify him as Scott Hunter, the famous captain of the New York Admirals hockey team. The customer complains about Scott’s recent poor performance. That night, Scott scores a hat trick, and the next morning he returns to the shop. He tells Kip he is superstitious and wants the same smoothie for good luck before his next game. Scott says he hopes to see Kip again on the next game day, a comment Maria interprets as flirtatious.

Kip discusses his growing crush on Scott with his best friend, Elena, a successful cybersecurity engineer. Together, they watch the next Admirals game, and Scott again plays exceptionally well. Convinced he is part of Scott’s new ritual, Kip switches shifts with a coworker to ensure he is working on the day of Scott’s next home game. When Scott returns, Kip’s coworker has called in sick, leaving them alone in the shop. Scott stays to drink his smoothie, and Kip makes a flirtatious comment about hockey players. Scott reacts strangely but then invites Kip to the game that night, offering him his personal tickets and leaving Kip confused about his sexual orientation. Kip brings Elena, and they watch from near the ice. During the warm-up, Scott skates by and gives Kip a direct nod.

The team leaves for a two-week road trip, and Scott, who is 28, finds himself uncharacteristically sad to leave New York, realizing he misses Kip. He reflects on his life as a closeted athlete, having hidden his sexuality to protect his career in the hypermasculine culture of professional hockey. He acknowledges his feelings for Kip are more than just physical. Meanwhile, Kip meets his friend Shawn at a gay pub called the Kingfisher. Shawn encourages him to apply for a job as an assistant educator at the Museum of the City of New York.

Kip takes a second job as a server for events and is shocked to find himself working a charity gala where Scott is a speaker. They have a brief conversation, and later, Scott asks Kip to get burgers with him after his shift. To remain discreet, Scott changes out of his tuxedo into touristy clothes he buys from a bodega. Over their meal, they connect on a deeper level, though Kip assumes Scott is only looking for a casual, secret hookup. They go to Scott’s penthouse, where they share their first kiss and have penetrative sex. Scott asks Kip to stay the night, and they talk intimately. The next morning, Scott returns to Straw+Berry for his smoothie and gives Kip his phone number hidden inside a $20 bill, along with the word “Sunday.”

On Sunday, Kip texts Scott, who calls him immediately and invites him over. They again have sex and agree to begin a secret relationship. Scott admits he has never dated anyone or brought a man to his home before. While on the road, Scott plays poker with his closest teammates, Carter Vaughan, Greg Huff, and Eric Bennett. They tease him about his love life, and Carter jokes that if Scott is never seen with a woman, people will assume he is gay.

Kip and Elena attend the high-profile Equinox Gala, where Scott is also a guest. They must pretend to be strangers. Carter sees Scott dancing with Elena and assumes she is his secret girlfriend. Later, Scott and Kip share a sexually charged, clandestine encounter in an alcove. Scott texts Kip his apartment door code and tells him to meet him there. When Scott is about to leave for another road trip, he returns to the apartment moments after departing to confess his love to Kip, and Kip tearfully reciprocates. As a birthday gift, Scott later takes Kip on a date to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The outing ends abruptly when Scott is recognized by fans, causing him to become anxious and angry. Photos of them at the museum surface online, and when Scott finds out, his panic leads to a tense argument with Kip about the risks of their exposure.

As the playoffs begin, Scott becomes consumed with hockey, and Kip feels increasingly isolated. Tensions escalate when Scott offers Kip a check for $50,000 to pay off his student loans for his birthday. Kip is offended by the gesture, and though they initially resolve the argument, it flares up again. Kip accuses Scott of being embarrassed by him and hiding him away, while Scott insists Kip doesn’t understand the pressure he is under as a public figure. Kip declares he cannot remain in a secret relationship and walks out of the apartment. They spend a week apart, both miserable. Kip gets drunk and almost cheats with a server from the Kingfisher but stops himself. Scott’s on-ice performance deteriorates, and his mounting frustration explodes in a brutal fight after an opponent uses an anti-gay slur. During their separation, Kip gets a new job at the Kingfisher and is accepted into the history master’s program at NYU. His father reveals he has deduced the relationship and offers his support.

Seeking to reconcile, Scott returns to Straw+Berry for a smoothie. He and Kip agree to talk and meet at Scott’s apartment after that night’s game. During their emotional conversation, Scott explains the deep-seated fear that has kept him closeted, stemming from the hockey culture he grew up in. He promises to come out publicly after the playoffs, and they reaffirm their love for each other. The Admirals advance, and Scott begins taking steps to come out. He tells Carter, Huff, and Bennett that he is gay and in a relationship with Kip; they are surprised but supportive. He then informs his coach, Harv Murdock, who also offers his support. Carter arranges for Scott and Kip to have their first real public date at a discreet, high-end restaurant. Scott later meets Kip’s parents and asks Kip to move in with him.

The Admirals make it to the Stanley Cup finals. In the deciding game in New York, they win. During the on-ice celebration, Scott is overwhelmed by the injustice of not being able to share the moment with Kip, who is watching from the stands. Acting on impulse, Scott summons Kip onto the ice by having him climb over the glass into the penalty box. In front of the crowd, his teammates, and television cameras, Scott kisses Kip passionately. In a subsequent interview on the ice, he confirms he is gay and proudly declares that Kip is his boyfriend, whom he loves. The news goes viral, and Scott’s supportive teammates welcome Kip into the locker room celebration.

A month later, at the NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Scott wins the Hart Trophy for league MVP. In his acceptance speech, he reflects on his journey as a closeted athlete and publicly thanks Kip for giving him the strength to be honest. Afterward, Scott, Kip, and his supportive teammates celebrate at a gay nightclub. The story ends with Scott and Kip dancing together, finally free to be a public couple.