A few months ago, my friends and I watched the opening game of the Vancouver Goldeneyes, one of two new expansion teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

It felt like a historic moment for both the team and me personally.

Here I was, a queer woman, sitting on my couch, watching a team with several openly queer hockey players who were excelling at a sport I had long felt disconnected from. It was my first step back into the hockey world and my first realization that maybe, just maybe, hockey can be a safe space for me and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Then, Heated Rivalry, a Canadian queer romance show, blew up online.

The show focuses on two fictional professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who play against each other on rival teams. The two slowly fall in love over a decade-long relationship.

Both are closeted, and a large theme of the show is their personal struggles and fear around what would happen to their hockey careers if they were outed.

Heated Rivalry brought the complex and difficult experience of being queer within male professional sports to a global scale, with Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledging the importance of the show at the World Economic Forum.

He explains how Heated Rivalry strikes a chord with its audience during a time when many 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are at risk across the world.

For Carney, the show reminds us of a fundamental Canadian value, “that people should be able to be whoever they want to be, to love whoever they want to love.”

Heated Rivalry imagines new possibilities and inspires hope for the future of queer players in men’s professional hockey. While Hollander and Rozanov do not come out in season one, Scott Hunter, another professional hockey player, does.

The show was a reminder to me of the importance of telling queer stories, of recognizing that there are many ways our society needs to grow, and that we can—and should—inspire for more.

~

On January 31, 2026, the Nanaimo Clippers held their first-ever Pride Night in partnership with the Nanaimo Pride Society.

I found out about the event through a forwarded email from a friend. It didn’t take long for our tickets to be booked. The event had yet to happen, but it already started to mean something special to me. I was excited to go to a hockey game again.

It had been eight years since I last sat down in Frank Crane Arena to watch a Clippers hockey game. I missed the cool air, the rowdy crowd, and the music of my childhood.

My family used to attend games regularly as our family night out. When I was really young, I grew superstitious that the Clippers would only score a goal if I sang the chorus of “We Will Rock You” by Queen over and over again in my head.

It didn’t always work, but I can’t help but fall into old habits at the Pride Night game.

When I walk into the arena, it becomes immediately clear that I am not alone in my excitement, nor am I the only one experiencing the increased surge of queer representation in hockey.

Rainbows and Pride flags are everywhere: on t-shirts, hand fans, socks, and more. Several Goldeneyes and Heated Rivalry jerseys were spotted in the crowd.

I decided to wear my beaded rainbow earrings, but clearly I need to up my game and invest in some Goldeneyes merch.

Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga songs make their appearance between the stadium classics, as does “All the Things She Said,” by t.A.T.u., a 2000s song that has surged back onto the charts after its iconic use in Heated Rivalry.

What may feel like simple Pride-themed song choices becomes something much more in this arena. Groups of strangers sing their favourite songs together and my friends and I dance to the chorus of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!”

By the time we find our seats and settle in for the game, my anxiety around this uncertain space starts to fade.

Lauren Semple, President of Nanaimo Pride Society, connects my experience to a wider theme they have noticed. They have heard from several queer people that they weren’t sure if hockey was a safe space for them.

“In male-centred spaces, it can be hard to determine sometimes whether those are okay spaces to be openly queer, trans, and gender diverse,” Semple explains. “The idea of Pride Night is that this is the sports team or the hockey club’s way of saying ‘We see you and you are welcome here.’”

Semple regularly attends Clippers games, and while she would see the occasional Pride flag amongst the regular crowd, they were ecstatic when the Clippers team reached out to Nanaimo Pride Society to plan a dedicated Pride Night.

Their organization had been discussing how to host more Pride Nights in general, so it was the perfect opportunity for mutual co-interests with the Clippers.

“We wanted to figure out how to work with teams, groups, [and] spaces, to create more opportunities for [the] community to gather outside of Pride month in these well-loved spaces for entertainment and activity,” Semple says.

Semple’s mindset seems to be shared by Rikki Thompson, Manager of Sales and Business Development for the Clippers.

“Pride Night is about more than just the hockey game,” Thompson says. “It’s about creating a community where players, fans, staff, and families all belong. The Nanaimo Clippers are proud to be inclusive and committed to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The joint effort of the Clippers team and Nanaimo Pride Society was felt within the arena. The speaker announcements highlighted the historic night, and safety ambassadors were scattered across the arena wearing pink vests in case anyone needed support of any kind.

Vikki and PJ Smudge (also known as the C-Queens) joined in at the puck drop and hosted a drag-themed game during the first intermission. The C-Queens have been season ticket holders for the past four years, but Clippers fans for even longer.

“There’s a lot of inclusivity coming into hockey, which is great,” PJ Smudge shares. “We have a couple of [professional] players … who are now openly out.”

“And a number one hit TV show!” Vikki Smudge chimes in, referencing Heated Rivalry.

As many NHL teams are cancelling and moving away from Pride Night events and queer branding—opting for “everyone nights”—for the upcoming year, representation of queer sports in media and in local communities has become more crucial than ever.

Semple identifies that there is cultural momentum towards inclusivity in hockey occurring at the moment. “There are symbols of representation showing up; there is this hopefulness on people’s faces. They are excited to be here tonight. They are excited to be at a hockey game.”

But for the momentum to keep pushing in the right direction, communities need to continue creating welcoming spaces and embracing queer players.

While a few professional male hockey players have come out as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community—such as Luke Prokop, AHL Defenseman for Bakersfield Condors, and Zach Sullivan, EIHL Defenseman for Manchester Storm—there are no active or retired NHL players who are currently out as queer.

As of 2025, the NHL is the only major North American men’s sports league that has never had an openly gay player on an active roster.

Semple shares that one simple way to keep the momentum going is to solidify Pride Nights within our local community. Luckily, that seems to be the Clippers’ plan.

Pride Night was ranked within the top three largest crowds of the season, and Thompson is thrilled to announce that this was the first of what’s now an Annual Pride Night.

“We envision this becoming a yearly tradition, continuing to build our relationship with Nanaimo Pride Society and the wider community. Each year, we hope to enhance the experience and make Pride Night a game that everyone circles on their schedule,” Thompson states.

So, if you missed this year’s event, you haven’t lost your chance to join in on the fun. I know I’ll be back.

~

P.S. Don’t worry, the Clippers won the game 5-3, all because I was singing “We Will Rock You.” Okay, and maybe some Chappell Roan for extra good luck (babe).