ICYMI How "Hockey Romance" Went Viral
Dec 17, 2025
Angelina Mazza, a culture writer and expert on queer romance, joins the discussion about the viral success of HBO's Heated Rivalry. She explores the passionate online fandom that rallied behind the show long before its U.S. premiere, detailing how it originated in Rachel Reid's hockey romance novels. The conversation delves into the series’ compelling enemies-to-lovers arc and the importance of queer representation in hockey culture. Angelina also highlights the fans' creative efforts and the challenges of misinformation that come with rapid virality.
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Halloween Promo: Wearing Your Fandom
- Angelina made a Heated Rivalry Halloween costume and used it to talk about the books nonstop.
- She and her partner dressed as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozenov with homemade jerseys and props.
Fandom Seeded The Show's Early Momentum
- The pre-show fandom lived across Tumblr, Twitter, and Bookstagram, building fan art and character content.
- That existing community seeded viral interest before mainstream distribution arrived.
Fans Traveled Internationally For The Premiere
- International fans traveled to the Montreal premiere, some coming from New Zealand and the UK.
- They said the books matter because they show queer players navigating and changing homophobic sports cultures.