Romance on Ice
How hockey came to dominate sports romance
There are many romance subgenres that feel intuitive: the billionaire, the cowboy, the morally gray stalker. However, you may be surprised to learn about another leading man with a devoted following: the hockey player. And sure, you might be thinking, Well, of course athletes are attractive. We all went to high school. I hear you. But I’m also dismissing you. I didn’t say the athlete. Because in the world of sports romance, the hockey player is the only man who matters. If this were high school, the football captain would eat his lunch in a bathroom stall. Despite lagging behind other professional sports in the real world, hockey absolutely dominates the best-seller lists. So, how did hockey become the national sport of Romancelandia?
Spicy Meets Icy
The National Hockey League, while popular, doesn’t come close to the viewership numbers of football, basketball, or baseball. Aside from a few stars, hockey salaries are chump change compared to those in other professional leagues. So, what is it about America’s fourth most popular sport that captivates readers? Some suggest it’s the contrast between the aggressive nature of the game and the hero’s sweet demeanor. Others point to the charm of “small-town” settings—many hockey players hail from remote regions, and professional hockey teams often represent smaller cities compared to other sports. It might just come down to the convenient rhyming of the word “puck.” Authors have certainly gotten plenty of mileage out of that pun—just search “puckboy” on Amazon.
Hockey romance has carved out its own distinct identity, separate from the sport itself. Initially, the genre was born out of a love for the game, with authors who were passionate about hockey weaving their stories around the sport. Over time, however, hockey romance evolved into a unique subgenre within the larger world of romance, much like how other niche romance categories have flourished.
One of the most intriguing aspects of hockey romance is how it has found a surprising audience in countries where hockey is a secondary or fringe sport, such as Australia and the UK. Despite the relatively lower profile of the sport in these regions, hockey romance has struck a chord with readers. The genre’s fan base is expanding rapidly, and its influence is only increasing as more authors explore the dynamic world of hockey, both on and off the ice.
Rink Kink
Despite the recent surge in popularity, hockey romance is not a new phenomenon. It has been popular for just under ten years. Hockey romance typically falls into two main categories: college league or professional league. (Personally, I believe there’s room for beer league hockey, but I digress.) Anecdotal evidence suggests that readers often favor one category over the other, rather than both. Some scientists believe readers may transition from college romance to professional romance somewhere in their mid-twenties.
Arguably, the first breakout hockey romance novel was Elle Kennedy’s The Deal, published in 2015. This novel not only launched the incredibly popular Off-Campus series but also became a defining work within contemporary romance. With over three million copies sold, Kennedy’s multiple hockey-themed series have garnered a devoted following of readers. Kennedy recently announced that a TV series based on the Off-Campus books is in development. Backed by the same producers who brought Twilight and The Fault in Our Stars to the screen.
In 2015, Elle Kennedy co-wrote Him with Sarina Bowen, a gay romance about two former best friends turned hockey rivals. The novel received rave reviews, helping to popularize MM romance, especially considering it was still gaining traction with female readers at the time. Gay romance has since remained a key part of hockey romance.
In 2018, Rachel Reid released Game Changer, focusing on queer relationships between professional hockey players. In 2022, Tal Bauer’s Gravity, an angsty romance between two teammates, further expanded the genre. Notably, Bauer, a gay man, stands out as a minority among MM authors, adding authenticity to his work.
In 2024, an estimated 250 hockey romance novels have been published, showcasing the genre’s rapid growth. Its success has even attracted bestselling authors from other subgenres, expanding the appeal of hockey romance beyond its initial niche audience. As more authors contribute to the genre, its influence and reach only continue to grow, solidifying its place as a mainstay in contemporary romance literature.
The Taylor Swift Effect
If you don’t believe the NFL benefited more from Taylor Swift than she benefited from them, then this newsletter simply is not be for you. Make a donation and leave! Forbes has laid out what’s being called the “Swift Effect”—the ability to activate a massive fandom to boost sales, viewership, and engagement. Since Taylor Swift began attending NFL games, the results have been remarkable.
Forbes reported a significant spike in viewership, particularly among female audiences:
This surge in engagement shows the power of fandom to influence even established industries, proving that when a cultural icon like Swift lends her presence to something, it creates a ripple effect.
Much like Swift's influence on football, romance readers can be activated by the right trope or genre, creating a similar kind of wave. In this case, the “Swift Effect” has drawn more romance readers to the NHL. Has this translated into a measurable impact on hockey viewership? While it's still inconclusive for the NHL overall, minor league data suggests that yes, romance readers have boosted international attendance at hockey games, particularly in countries where hockey isn’t as popular, such as Australia and the UK.
For example, in Australia, a semi-professional ice hockey league has capitalized on this trend, particularly since the rise of BookTok and the growing popularity of hockey romance. As Watson, a league representative, noted:
This surge in attendance highlights the power of niche fanbases to make a meaningful impact, turning what was once a minor league event into a gathering for romance readers eager to see the sport come to life. Whether or not the NHL will experience the same dramatic boost remains to be seen, but the connection between romance fandom and hockey has already been proven, particularly in regions that are less traditionally tied to the sport.
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BookToxik
Unfortunately, nothing on the internet stays positive for long. As always, someone had to take it too far. After BookTok discovered hockey romance, BookTokers turned their attention to the NHL. What began as a lighthearted trend, with TikToks comparing NHL players to beloved book characters, quickly took a darker turn. One player in particular, Alex Wennberg, who was then with the Seattle Kraken, received a lot of BookTok’s focus. While it started off as fun, with even the Kraken’s social media team and Wennberg’s wife joining in, things soon escalated. The sexualization of Wennberg crossed boundaries, and some 'fans' began messaging him directly, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
In response, as any protective spouse would, Wennberg’s wife, Felicia Weeren, took to the internet to address those crossing the line. It’s also worth noting that Felicia holds a PhD and wrote her dissertation on consent in sexual encounters.
"What doesn't sit with me is when your desires come with sexual harassment, inappropriate comments and the fact that, with the Internet, we can normalize behavior that would never be OK if we flipped the genders around to a guy doing this to a female athlete," she wrote.
Well the internet took her words to heart and proceeded to do some much needed self reflection. No, obviously not. Felicia was continuously harassed online, though the Kraken social media team did remove all related content. Unfortunately, the woman who created the most egregious content—whom Felicia directly referenced—was recently featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show as the "Queen of BookTok." This was a disappointing lapse in due diligence on the show’s part.
However, we are not going to leave it on that note. So please enjoy the following videos of an Australian beer league hockey team reenacting smutty scenes from hockey romance!
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