Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Hockey Romance? | Pause on the Headlines

This week on Pause on the Headlines, we’re talking about the rise of hockey romance books, sports TV shows, and why emotionally available fictional athletes suddenly became the internet’s favorite fantasy.

From BookTok favorites like Icebreaker and The Deal to the explosion of sports documentaries and cozy team-centered storytelling, we unpack what this trend might actually be saying about modern loneliness, dating exhaustion, masculinity, and the craving for emotional safety.

Why are audiences gravitating toward stories about loyalty, teamwork, devotion, and people who consistently show up for each other?

And why did hockey — of all sports — become the blueprint for the internet boyfriend?

In this episode:

• The rise of hockey romance on BookTok
• Why sports-centered stories feel comforting right now
• Fictional masculinity vs modern dating culture
• The “emotionally safe man” phenomenon
• Teamwork, belonging, and loneliness in pop culture
• Why people are craving sincerity again
• Sports documentaries as emotional comfort TV
• The real fantasy behind hockey romance

Referenced in this episode:

• Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
• The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Because maybe this trend was never really about hockey at all.

Follow along with The Honest Pause for more conversations about pop culture, emotional trends, identity, and the stories shaping how we live.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome to The Honest Pause. I'm Carol Rothri, actress, intuitive coach, and your co-host for Real Meaningful Conversations.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

And I'm Miriam Tyree, entrepreneur, business strategist, and your partner in navigating life's ups and downs.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Here we talk about what happens when you hit pause, when we reflect and embrace the messy beauty of life.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

So whether you're here to reflect, recharge, or just have a good laugh, we've got you covered. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Yeah, I do. I do.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Not it hasn't been something for me that I have had the same experience with until lately. And now I feel like this sport that I like knew through you, but also just like very tangentially has become such a central part of my life and public headlines lately with this like onslaught of hockey books and TV shows. And I've got to say, I am obsessed, and I think so many people are obsessed with hockey right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Well, it's a playoff, so yeah, they are going to be pretty much obsessed. Oh, are we talking about heated rivalry? Is that what we're talking about?

SPEAKER_00 1:41

I think that it has felt like recently that suddenly everybody is reading hockey romance, watching hockey, and thirsting over hockey players on social media.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Okay, I can believe that because when I go to work, you know, and we're filming and I go to the hair and makeup trailer, that's all they talk about is heated rivalry and how they cannot wait for the second season. And it's just hockey, hockey, hockey. I okay, let's be honest. I bet it's all about those who are in the you know hockey equipment, probably more than the actual game. But for us here, it is well, she loved the series, her and her her all of her hockey team buddies. They all watch the show, of course. It's huge. Um, but they're also into the actual game because of the playoffs right now. But I'm so happy you're getting involved in it.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

I don't think I'm getting involved in it in the way that I should be, but there's definitely in my life this hockey romance takeover. And I will say, so for example, like Hannah Grace, the book Icebreaker, L. Kennedy, The Deal. We now have these like we have off campus.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yeah, that's another new one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Which I have watched all the way through twice now. I think I watched Heated Rivalry three times. We have the rise of hockey romance, and I'm here for it. I never knew I would be here for it, but I'm really curious. Why do you think hockey specifically is becoming sort of mainstage and front and center?

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Honestly, I I I don't know. I can't even begin to go how how this even came about, but it makes sense. I mean, hockey's been around forever. It's just, you know, me being, you know, a Canadian, I grew up watching hockey. So I along those lines, I've always been obsessed. I've it's always been about hockey. My daughter, as you know, is full on hockey and has been playing it, you know, she was on the ice and skates at the age of three. So um it's big for me. But how it's become so popular as far as in the romance side, I don't know. I think it's fantastic. I really do.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

But this is what I'm living for. This is what I'm here for. I think there's like, okay, so hockey is not as prevalent where I am from. I'm from California. So there is some hockey, but it's not, I don't think, in the same. So when I think about hockey, I think about like the aesthetic of hockey. It's like cozy because it's cold and I don't know. Um, I think there's also hockey does feel like a little bit different than other sports to me. Um I think that I would guess that many people who read and watch these hockey books and TV shows aren't actually watching hockey or weren't watching hockey before. Um so I I I do wonder if that like it's this like secret hidden thing. And now all these women are like, oh my gosh, hockey players are really hot and they're really in good shape. And they're like, I didn't, I wasn't like really as exposed to hockey. And then I will I will say I have spent a little too much time looking at some of these hockey players, and man, they're in good shape. I'm I gotta say, I'm impressed.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

They they're phenomenal athletes. I I mean, and that's the interesting thing because you're just into it on this side. For me, watching up, it was the sport and you know the players, obviously. But there's so much to these. I mean, it's an amazing sport. You if you've ever actually watched it beyond looking at the person, Miriam. I'm just saying, uh, it is a phenomenal sport. It really is.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Yeah, I I would agree.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

I think it's also like there's you just want to look at the it's all about the eye, candy. That's what you're that's where you are.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

I've heard someone call it like what the like the men's aquarium, like it's a men aquarium or something where you're just like watching men, you know, like they're in an aquarium.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Can I also for the women for all the phenomenal female players? PWHL, hello, fantastic hockey, fantastic hockey. I'm gonna convert you. I'll convert you.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

No, but I will say hockey takes a lot of athleticism to be on skates and on the ice, and you're wearing all this heavy stuff, like you have to be physically very strong and smart in how you sort of maneuver your feet aren't exactly on the ground, even though they are. Um make me laugh, sorry. I'm like thinking about this. Like, I will say, like, like I think in many ways you could compare like a hockey player to kind of like the lumberjack aesthetic, right? Like, which is like strong men who grunt and like shove each other around, you know, and they're like in close quarters all the time, you know, like they're in close quarters, and so things are gonna happen, and then you know, there's camaraderie with the team, and there's always stuff that happens with the team, don't you think? Um I'm looking, I'm looking into this in like a different way.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

I love how you're looking into this. I do, and I think that's what's you know starting to bring people into you know hockey. For me, I just I can't, I don't even see, I don't go to that place because it's all about the sport.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

It so we we're on two different two different sides, but yeah, and I I will say like I think too, like I don't know, like it's a fast-paced sport, so it's like really interesting.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yes, yes, it is if London was listening to you about hockey if she was listening to you right now, she would have a connection. So I'm so glad she's not listening to you. She she'd be like, Why is what is she talking about?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Anyway, it is a I do want to know though, like how many people who read hockey romance books watch hockey? I would I would be genuinely curious to know.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Okay, we have to have a poll. We need to buy. I would be interested. I'm actually interested, and I also want to know just because I'm coming from the sport aspect as opposed to the romantic, you know, the huge, uh fabulous um rage right now with with hockey romance. Um, how many actually have gone from the books? That's okay. We're gonna want to find out how many have come from the book aspect and have gone, oh my gosh, I quite like this sport. I'm gonna get into this. And how many of you have come from the sport and then have started to look into the romantic side or you know, the the the romance aspect, novels, television shows, all of that? Which side did you come from? And I have to be honest, and I probably shouldn't even say this, but I I haven't seen He Did Rivalry yet or off campus. I'm too because I'm too busy going, who's playing, who's up? Oh my gosh, where where are we in the standing? So that's where I come from. So I'm interested to see. Like, have you turned on a hockey game and gone, oh wow, look at this. So you're are you starting to follow hockey a bit more?

SPEAKER_00 9:14

I'm I know.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

I love that you're so honest. You're so honest.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

No, um I should. Um, it is not, I will again, it's not the most popular sport here in the US, but I will say in the hockey that I have watched now, it's intense. There's kind of like this risky thing and aggressive thing. And I think like why maybe romance lends itself to hockey so much and why people are so obsessed is like there's drama and there's like this like tough guy thing on the ice, but then they're like soft and romantic, or you know, I will say like a lot of the men in some of these books or shows you see them like really have these softer sides where they are my like they have a lot of like emotional awareness. I don't want to do any spoilers for anyone who hasn't read the books or seen off campus or heated rivalry, but I think many of not all many of the men are portrayed as being allies and and being supportive of women and like valuing consent. Again, not all, but I do think a lot of these books and movies and TV shows touch on really difficult topics, and you see the humanity and like the the people. So I think it's yes, it's about hockey, but too, like there's some really great players and really great characters that are written. And I think ultimately people really do fall for that. I mean, my first exposure to hockey was honestly the Mighty Ducks, and now it has dawned like a complete, you know, 360. But um, I mean, yeah, the players are attractive. It's not hard to, you know, who doesn't want a man who's like, you know, I just want to make sure you feel safe, but I also have like a 12 pack and I can like skate really fast and like shoot this tiny puck into this net really fast while other men are trying to tackle me. Like, I don't know. It's like not really hard to see why people like it.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Killing me, you're freaking killing me.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

I don't know, it's not like a shocker, it's like oh shocker, hot men like fighting for you and then like being all romantic. Woo shocker.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

We have to do we have to do a hockey book. I guess I've got to read one of the things.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

I think I have to like watch hockey and commentate on it. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

You have to watch hockey watch that, but and then for our book club, we have to factor in a hockey romance book or something. We'll have to because I haven't read any of those, so you know there's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Um, I haven't read all of them, and I would definitely say a hockey romance book is in our future. I I am here for hockey romances, I am here for everybody in this like phase right now. I am pro hockey romances. Um I'm not like only into hockey romances, but I do think like there have been a couple really great hockey related romances out there, and I'm really loving this era of rom-coms coming back.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yeah, all me too, me too.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

In the 90s, there were all these rom-coms, and I think dating in in the world right now has become this really almost strange new animal. And I don't know. I'm just I'm here for it. I'm here for the hockey romances, I'm here for the rom-coms. Um I will say the things again, just to like actually talk about the hockey romance books, is um I've really enjoyed that they get like learning about the game and that it's intense. I've really come to understand the complexity of some of these characters and understanding the injuries, and injuries are part of the deal. Um you know, like with any sport, you look at like the schedule and the lifestyle and all of that really is no joke. Um but I think ultimately like the staying power of these TV shows and books because it really comes because the characters feel real and they have like complicated and real life stories. And so as much as I think it's about hockey, I also really think this isn't about hockey. I think it's about loneliness and burnout and love. And I don't think it's like the fantasy is necessarily like I want to date a hockey player, which maybe it is, but the fantasy is really like I want someone who like isn't perfect and is flawed, but chooses me and protects me and works things out with me and talks with me. I don't know. I think that's kind of what it's about.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

I mean, I am really invested in hockey romances.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

You are, and I want to get invested. I'm looking forward to reading one of these books.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Yeah, so let us know what romance books you are reading now and why do you think that hockey romance is so popular? And I mean, I'm here for it to stay. I'm ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Oh my god. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

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SPEAKER_01 15:32

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SPEAKER_00 15:40

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SPEAKER_01 15:48

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