Will “Heated Rivalry” Change the NHL?
An episode of the Sports In America with David Greene podcast, hosted by WHYY | PRX , titled "Will “Heated Rivalry” Change the NHL?" was published on February 26, 2026 and runs 50 minutes.
February 26, 2026 ·50m · Sports In America with David Greene
Summary
The fictional TV show Heated Rivalry was an overnight sensation — raking in more than 10 million streams for each of its six episodes. It follows two rival professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov, whose public feud hides their secret, years-long romantic relationship. The show is fun, and it also raises a larger question: How welcoming is the NHL to LGBTQ athletes and fans? This week, we sit down with Harrison Browne, an actor on the show, and the first person ever to come out as trans in professional hockey. He tells us all about his role in Heated Rivalry, what it’s like to come out and compete as a pro athlete, and whether he felt supported. We also hear from Julian McKenzie, an NHL staff writer at The Athletic, about the upcoming playoffs — and whether he thinks the buzz from the show could actually change the culture in the pros. Show Notes ‘Heated Rivalry’ Easter Egg: This New Character Is Actual LGBTQ+ Hockey History | them Let Us Play | Harrison Browne, Rachel Browne ‘Heated Rivalry’ inspired me to come out as gay | BBC The Truth About Trans Athletes in Sports with Harrison Browne Hit show ‘Heated Rivalry’ became a TV phenomenon. Can it change hockey culture? | Julian McKenzie for The Athletic Show Credits Host: David Greene Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler Senior Producer: Michael Olcott Producer: Michaela Winberg Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa Talent Booker: Britt Kahn Engineer: Mike Villers Tile Art: Bea Walling Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.
Episode Description
The fictional TV show Heated Rivalry was an overnight sensation — raking in more than 10 million streams for each of its six episodes. It follows two rival professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov, whose public feud hides their secret, years-long romantic relationship. The show is fun, and it also raises a larger question: How welcoming is the NHL to LGBTQ athletes and fans?
This week, we sit down with Harrison Browne, an actor on the show, and the first person ever to come out as trans in professional hockey. He tells us all about his role in Heated Rivalry, what it’s like to come out and compete as a pro athlete, and whether he felt supported.
We also hear from Julian McKenzie, an NHL staff writer at The Athletic, about the upcoming playoffs — and whether he thinks the buzz from the show could actually change the culture in the pros.
Show Notes
- ‘Heated Rivalry’ Easter Egg: This New Character Is Actual LGBTQ+ Hockey History | them
- Let Us Play | Harrison Browne, Rachel Browne
- ‘Heated Rivalry’ inspired me to come out as gay | BBC
- The Truth About Trans Athletes in Sports with Harrison Browne
- Hit show ‘Heated Rivalry’ became a TV phenomenon. Can it change hockey culture? | Julian McKenzie for The Athletic
Show Credits
Host: David Greene
Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler
Senior Producer: Michael Olcott
Producer: Michaela Winberg
Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa
Talent Booker: Britt Kahn
Engineer: Mike Villers
Tile Art: Bea Walling
Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.