Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie) face-off in a scene from 'Heated Rivlary.' (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)Hockey has made it big on the small screen. TV’s buzziest show, Heated Rivalry, debuted in late 2025, with Off Campus following in 2026. They join beloved Canadian show Shoresy, which has a sixth season going into production this fall. These shows all challenge traditional hockey culture in their own ways. Shoresy promotes an inclusive vision of hockey that includes women and Indigenous people in leadership positions. Heated Rivalry‘s queer romance challenges the sport’s longstanding assumptions of heteronormativity. Off Campus highlights the issue of sexual assault within hockey.But as the NHL season begins, a series of controversies suggests that many of the sport’s longstanding cultural issues appear to remain unresolved.Hockey’s culture problemHockey has long been associated with traditional ideas about masculinity, toughness and heterosexuality. The culture surrounding hockey has historically marginalized women and LGBTQ+ people.Sexist phrases like “puck bunny” are used to diminish female fans, while Hockey Canada’s 2022 discrimination report found that negative comments about sexual orientation and gender identity accounted for 61 per cent of incidents witnessed by officials. Players’ self-reported allegations were most commonly related to race, sexual orientation and gender identity.It is also one of the most expensive sports, with participation typically limited to families who can afford to spend thousands of dollars on equipment, league fees and travel costs. Players and managers in the NHL are predominantly white, with the league having the lowest level of player diversity among the four major North American professional sports leagues. We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada’s Troubled Hockey Culture by Rick Westhead. (Penguin Random House) These issues have become increasingly visible in recent years as hockey organizations have faced pressure to address questions about safety, inclusion and accountability.The publication of TSN reporter Rick Westhead’s book We Breed Lions further intensified national conversations about hockey culture. In it, Westhead documents sexual abuse and hazing in junior hockey and examines the sport’s impact on its players’ physical and mental health and its growing exclusivity.The book demonstrates that these issues are systemic, not isolated incidents. We need to address the culture that encourages such behaviour and the way teammates, coaches and other personnel are complicit.Recent controversiesThe 2025 NHL season and 2026 summer off-season saw a number of controversies that reflected broader debates about accountability, institutional responsibility and inclusion in hockey. The Vegas Golden Knights’ signing of Carter Hart in 2025 drew criticism from some fans and media figures. Hart was one of the five former Hockey Canada players charged in an alleged 2018 sexual assault; all five were found not guilty in July 2025. During the Stanley Cup Final, some fans chanted “no means no” when Hart was on the ice. The Edmonton Oilers’ later signing of another former Hockey Canada player who had been charged in the same case and was also found not guilty prompted longtime Oilers fan Mama Stanley to announce she would no longer support the team. The teams’ recent off-season hiring of Mike Babcock, who has been accused of abusive coaching tactics, was similarly controversial. Meanwhile, fans pushed back against the Dallas Stars’ announcement that it would not hold a Pride Night during the team’s 2026-27 season at a time when discussions about queerness and hockey were receiving increased attention.Challenging hockey cultureThe fact that these recent decisions are controversial suggests that a new generation of hockey fans have entered the arena. I am in the early phases of a research project about online hockey “counterpublics” with my colleague, creator culture expert Jess Rauchberg. A counterpublic is a group that has been excluded from the dominant discourse and challenges normative ideas. Some early findings show that hockey content creators are using online spaces to criticize aspects of hockey culture and challenge the behaviours and traditions documented by Westhead.Our preliminary analysis of comments on NHL teams’ Pride Night social media posts suggests that many old school fans are guarding the sport from these incursions. While many fans embrace Pride Nights as forms of inclusivity, others respond with slurs or argue Pride has no place in hockey. Sports are imbued with social and political values, often leading to what political scientist Jules Boykoff calls “sportwashing,” or using sports to deflect from political crises and normalize nationalism and human rights abuses. Given that hockey is so tied to Canadian national identity, challenges to hockey culture can be seen by some fans as challenges to their own identities.Can stories change hockey?The hockey shows of the 2020s imagine a world in which hockey can be better. In Heated Rivalry, the two best hockey players in the league are queer men — a challenge to masculine ideals about who belongs in elite sport. In Off Campus, main protagonist Hannah receives support from an NHL prospect when she discloses her rape by a hockey player. Shoresy presents a version of hockey where women not only have a place in a hockey team’s front office, but can be respected leaders, and Indigenous players and management personnel are equal to their white counterparts. Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs team manager Sanguinet (played by Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat) stands behind bench during hockey game in Shoresy. (Bell Media) Rachel Reid, the author of the romance series from which Heated Rivalry was adapted, has said she set out to challenge the culture of the sport she loved. In the wake of the show’s massive success, some NHL players have said they would support a gay teammate. But recent developments show hockey culture is difficult to challenge. While popular media seems to be confronting some of the norms embedded in hockey culture, hockey itself appears resistant to change. My research into online hockey counterpublics and fan responses to Pride Night suggests that supporters and critics are both actively shaping the future meaning of the sport. Popular media is challenging some of hockey’s traditional norms, but whether those challenges lead to broader changes within hockey itself remains to be seen.Clementine Oberst does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.