The NHL Is Releasing Its Own ‘Hot’ Fanfic. Romance Lovers Hate It

The NHL’s marketing now directly leverages fanfiction tropes, blurring the lines between official content and fan-created narratives about its players.

The National Hockey League (NHL) has launched a new marketing campaign called “Hot for Hockey,” featuring short, romance novel-inspired audio stories. These stories, running 60 to 90 seconds, star NHL players such as Trevor Zegras and Sebastian Aho, and are promoted on platforms like TikTok’s BookTok. The league collaborated with popular hockey romance authors and narrators for the content, which dropped this week and includes players from teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. However, the stories have drawn criticism from romance readers and fans who argue they fail to address serious issues within the sport, such as homophobia and toxic masculinity, and could expose players to unwanted sexual harassment. Authors like C.R. Jane and Emily Rath have publicly distanced themselves from the campaign, with Rath citing concerns about the league's approach to gender and sexuality issues and alleged mockery of the romance genre in campaign materials.

The NHL's campaign represents a calculated effort to capitalize on the burgeoning popularity of hockey romance fiction and its substantial online community, particularly on BookTok. By commissioning short, player-centric audio stories and enlisting genre authors and influencers, the league aims to tap into a dedicated fanbase and potentially convert them into viewers of actual games. This move signals an acknowledgment of the significant cultural and economic influence of romance narratives within sports fandom, as evidenced by the rise of this genre and its mainstream adaptations.

However, the campaign has ignited controversy by glossing over persistent issues of homophobia, toxic masculinity, and sexual assault allegations within hockey culture. Critics argue that this romanticized marketing approach sanitizes the sport's problematic elements and risks further sexualizing players, creating a disconnect between the league's commercial strategy and the authentic concerns of many fans. The NHL's perceived attempt to broaden its appeal by leaning into romance tropes, while simultaneously curtailing LGBTQ+ inclusive events like Pride Nights, highlights a tension between commercial interests and genuine engagement with diverse fan bases.