By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-01 15:16:41 | Updated at 2026-10-01 17:39:51
2 hours ago
The NHL is launching a new marketing campaign involving smutty romance stories, gay hockey lovers, and a massive online, female-driven subculture. Gone are the days of the “Broad Street Bullies.”
Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of hockey romance shows and books, such as “Off Campus” and “Heated Rivalry” (a story about two gay hockey players), the NHL has released a pair of short stories about real-life pros in a wink to the genre. The stories will feature Golden Knights captain Jack Eichel in “Jack of Hearts,” and Hurricanes captain Sebastian Aho in “The Storm Between Us.” (RELATED: Honor, Revenge And Bloody Knuckles: This Right Here Is Why Hockey Is For Men)
During a press conference Wednesday, a DK Pittsburgh Sports reporter asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the new strategy to attract a younger, female audience.
“The data is overwhelming in terms of new fans that we acquired last year who were first introduced to hockey either through ‘Off Campus’ or ‘Heated Rivalry’,” Bettman said. “We’re thrilled to have them, and since it seems to be a cultural phenomenon, we figured, why not get on board.”
He added that he binge-watched both shows and that the demographic is great for growing the game.
It is a smart move on the league’s part, to be sure. In fact, it’s genius. Despite Americans reading less, romance books are still a hot commodity, especially the audio versions. A research firm reports that over 50 million romance books were sold in the 12 months before June 2025. Just in the sports romance category alone, around 16 million books are downloaded every year.
But will this new marketing push change hockey culture? Will it alienate male fans? Would male fans even care?
This definitely marks a shift in broader sports culture, for better or worse. Sports fandom used to be a domain, by and large, for men. Now, TikTokers are swooping in because they like to watch attractive men fight and skate on ice. It might grow the game, but at what cost?
