Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry is the second installment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers Series, a sequence of LGBTQ+ hockey romances set within the National Hockey League (NHL). The novels follow the sports romance genre, particularly hockey-centered narratives similar to Pucking Around, Icebreaker, and The Deal, while focusing on relationships between men in the tradition of Him and Check, Please: #Hockey. Although each novel centers on a different couple, Heated Rivalry stands apart in the series because of its extended timeline, sustained secrecy, and reliance on rivalry as a structuring force. These elements distinguish it from the more straightforward romantic arcs found elsewhere in the series.

The series begins with Game Changer, which follows Scott Hunter, captain of the New York Admirals, and Kip Grady, who works at a juice bar. Scott’s eventual decision to come out publicly by kissing Kip after a Stanley Cup win introduces the possibility of openness within the NHL. That moment directly shapes Heated Rivalry. Scott’s coming out reframes what Shane and Ilya believe is possible, prompting Ilya to visit Shane’s cottage and initiating the shift from prolonged secrecy toward honesty and commitment. Heated Rivalry uses the events of the first novel as a catalyst for its relationship.

Within the series, Heated Rivalry is a hinge text. Subsequent novels repeatedly circle back to Shane and Ilya, not as protagonists but as stabilizing figures. In Tough Guy, Ilya invites Ryan Price to coach at the hockey camp he runs with Shane, signaling trust and community. Common Goal shows Ilya’s trouble-making side as he teases Eric Bennett (the goalie for the Admirals) for still wearing his wedding ring. Ilya also pushes Eric to be more honest with his bartender love interest, Kyle. Role Model further positions Ilya as a guide for players navigating identity and public scrutiny, as he plays on the same team as the protagonist, Troy Barrett.

The sixth book, The Long Game, confirms Heated Rivalry’s foundational role by directly continuing Shane and Ilya’s story a few years after the conclusion of Heated Rivalry. Heated Rivalry, the most popular of the Game Changers Series, holds a significant place in the series. The series positions Heated Rivalry as the emotional and structural bridge within the Game Changers universe. Its influence extends beyond its own narrative, shaping how later novels define their relationship dynamics.

The Game Changers series is also notable for how it addresses conceptions of masculinity in the world of professional sports. Characters like Ilya and Shane are initially reluctant to go public with their relationship due to their fear of antigay prejudice, as their identity as gay men challenges the traditional athletic stereotype that equates masculinity with heteronormativity. Game Changers thus challenges antigay bias by drawing attention to the presence of gay athletes in professional sports and celebrating their relationship as the heart of the novel’s love story.