> At a Glance
> – Hudson Williams says active NHL, NFL and NBA players have privately messaged about being closeted
> – Messages arrive anonymously via email and Instagram, routed through author Rachel Reid
> – Crave/HBO Max hit Heated Rivalry renewed for season 2 after December finale
> – Why it matters: The show’s portrayal of queer athletes is prompting real pros to share hidden struggles
Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams revealed that closeted players from major North American leagues are quietly reaching out after watching the gay hockey romance. The 24-year-old shared the news in a Thursday segment of Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live.
Athletes Break Silence
When host Andy Cohen asked what viewer feedback stands out, Williams described anonymous notes from active pros.
> “It’s definitely the people who reach out somewhat anonymously who are like, ‘I’m a professional player and I’m still in the closet,'” Williams said.
Cohen interjected, stunned: “You’ve heard from closeted players? Really? Closeted hockey players?”
Williams confirmed the correspondence spans multiple sports:
- Hockey players
- Football players
- Basketball players
The actors and author Rachel Reid receive these messages privately. Reid forwards anonymous emails, while some athletes slide into cast Instagram DMs.
From Page to Screen
Heated Rivalry adapts Reid’s Game Changers novel about rival pros Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov whose animosity turns into a secret romance. Show creator Jacob Tierney brought the book to TV for Canadian streamer Crave and U.S. outlet HBO Max.
The series wrapped its first season on December 26, prompting an immediate second-season renewal.
Reid wrote in Maclean’s that she hopes the show’s success “encourages publishers to not only seek out queer romances, but to promote them far and wide.”
Hockey’s LGBTQ+ Reality Check
Retired semi-pro Brock McGillis, who came out after leaving the game, warned PinkNews that locker-room homophobia could intensify rather than ease because of the show.
No NHL player has ever publicly identified as gay while under contract. Prospect Luke Prokop, who is openly gay, spent last season with the Nashville Predators organization but never cracked the big club. He told The New York Times he keeps interviews low-key to avoid being labeled “a distraction.”
Key Takeaways
- Closeted athletes see Heated Rivalry as a rare mirror, spurring private confessions
- Williams calls these notes the moment entertainment “hits people right in the nerve”
- Despite the show’s popularity, hockey insiders debate whether fiction can shift real-world stigma
The outpouring underscores a stark contrast: audiences cheer queer hockey romance on screen, yet pros still feel forced to hide who they are off it.
