Lily Huynh/The Cougar
Reading has always been a common hobby. However, 2020 brought a new audience to reading. Specifically on TikTok. The term “BookTok” was quickly developed and is still used 6 years later.
BookTok is known for creators who discuss books across genres. Mystery, fantasy, Sci-Fi but especially romance. Romance books were blowing up at the time, and many themes and tropes became popular. One in particular was sports romance, consisting of one or both of the main characters on a sports team.
To get even more nitty-gritty, hockey romance specifically became very popular and became its own category. As hockey romances move from page to screen, audiences become attached not just to the story but to how those emotions translate on screen. Readers are eager to see how their imagination becomes reality through casting, pacing and chemistry, even when altering some of the book scenes.
Hockey romance beyond books
Many would expect little from the hockey romance genre, but to our surprise, it has made a major jump in the media. Ice rinks, locker rooms and emotionally unavailable athletes have become staples on bookshelves and, recently, on screen as well.
Hockey itself is rarely the main attraction. Instead, hockey often serves as the backdrop for stories centered on romance, friendship and personal growth.
“Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid, part of the author’s “Game Changers” series, has recently been adapted. The novel became popular for its longing glances and years of tension.
Published in 2019, the popular LGBTQ+ romance novel follows the decade-long situationship between two rival hockey players, Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov. The story follows the pair as they navigate a secret relationship while competing professionally, creating years of tension before they finally get together.
Actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie seemed as though they stepped directly out of the book. On screen, their characters felt less fictional and more like real people carrying the same intensity and emotional depth that made them memorable on the page.
What once started as a low-budget queer project quickly skyrocketed into a global sensation, reaching 10.6 million viewers.
From one hockey romance to another
“Off-Campus” by Elle Kennedy has also drawn significant attention on Prime Video, furthering the genre’s popularity.
The series has been popular since its 2015 publication. It gained popularity again as hockey romances surged in popularity in 2021. The series contains everything readers love in a good hockey book, from strong chemistry and banter to the real-life issues college students face.
The series follows a group of college hockey players and their relationships, with each book focusing on a different couple. The adaptation combines storylines from multiple books, leading to mixed reactions from longtime readers.
Because each book traditionally focuses on a different couple, viewers were surprised when Allie and Dean’s romance, which is the focus of a later book, began much earlier in the TV adaptation. Some said it felt rushed and worried there would be little left of their story by the time their season arrives, while others loved the overlap, since the books’ timelines overlap as well.
Book vs screen
Controversy aside, most viewers love their story and have gone as far as to say they enjoyed it more than the main characters’ from “The Deal”, Garret and Hannah’s romance. This is most likely due to the different dynamics. Allie and Dean’s story is shown to be secret, spicy and fun, both in the book and on the show.
Garret and Hannah have just as much chemistry in the books, though some fans feel their spark wasn’t given justice in the show. Specifically, on Garret’s end.
In the books, Garret is described as possessive and jealous. While in the show, he’s portrayed more nonchalantly. This could be due to cultural differences over the past decade. In 2015, it was more socially acceptable for Garret to enforce a “hands-off rule” that prohibited any other guy from dating Hannah. Now, in 2026, it could be viewed as toxic and sexist, which explains why the show’s producer changed the main plotline.
Why audiences keep coming back
Regardless of the negative opinions about some of these changes, the show adapted the main plotlines, which is what everyone should be focused on.
The characters’ traumatic backgrounds were beautifully discussed. The comforting found-family trope and humor were present. And mainly, the addictive, binge-worthy romance that we’re used to in hockey books was portrayed.
Overall, whether someone has read the books or not, both “Heated Rivalry” and “Off-Campus” received positive feedback and successfully captured many of the elements that make hockey romance so popular.
While some may find all forms of sports romances cheesy, there’s a lot more in these books beyond the surface level of romance. Maybe they don’t change the trajectory of your life, but they’re a fun distraction and escape from the real world for the average reader and TV junkie.
Opinion@thedailycougar.com
