"R achel Reid is enjoying levels of success most Canadian writers only dream of-all because she was brave enough to ask, "What if Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin were in love? And have been having passionate sex throughout the entirety of their careers?" While countless outlets have expressed shock at the show's success-Variety called it "The Year's Biggest TV Surprise," while a New York Times headline touted that its popularity has "Surprised Even TV Executives""
"When a hockey boy demonstrates skill or promise, other hockey boys will call him a "beauty." There is admiration, respect, and desire for those young men who excel in the sport, and often, it verges on homoerotic worship: they'll talk about the size of the player or what he can do with his hands. Skill and virility are read into one another: if a player succeeds, they'll say he "has wheels" (gets girls) or that "he fucks!""
Rachel Reid achieved prominent success by imagining Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin as lovers who maintained a passionate sexual relationship throughout their careers. Mainstream outlets expressed surprise at the show's popularity while its appeal stems from the intersection of hockey culture and gay sex. Hockey embodies significant homoeroticism alongside homophobia, rooted in locker-room rituals, admiration of male bodies and equating athletic skill with virility. Expressions like calling skilled players "beauty" or saying a player "has wheels" reveal desire and status. Lockers feature hazing, groping and homoerotic innuendo that function as displays of power, blurring the line between homophobia and homoeroticism.
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