Having been inspired by the success of steamy sports-romance Heated Rivalry, a hockey player has come out as gay.
For those who haven't yet sank their teeth into the viral hit - which is based on Rachel Reid's best-selling book Game Changers - tells the tale of Shane Hollander, a conflicted men's professional hockey player from Canada, and his long term rival and notorious 'ladies man', Russian athlete Ilya Rozanov.
The pair have long been pitted against one another, with their fiery feud ceaselessly splashed against sporting headlines.
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What neither the media nor their fans are aware of, however, is that opponents Shane and Ilya have been enjoying a passionate love affair behind the backs of their coaches, abiding by the classic 'enemies-to-lovers' trope that sends Gen Z readers wild time and time again.
Much to the dismay of some conservative Christian groups, Heated Rivalry has received mass praise across the board, with fans especially pleased by producers' decision to explore taboos surrounding same-sex romances in typically hyper-masculine environments.
The show's unapologetic depiction of passion - especially in the largely underrepresented LGBTQ+ sporting community - has also seen both series makers and lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie widely applauded.
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Among the many to have expressed their appreciation for the show, is real-life professional hockey player, Jesse Kortuem, who previously played as both a defender and a centre for several different league groups before walking away from the sport entirely.
Taking to Facebook on Tuesday (13 January), however, the athlete credited the show as having inspired the decision to come out as gay.
In an emotional statement, Kortuem wrote: "In hockey, there is nothing like hitting the ice after the Zamboni leaves behind a fresh, smooth sheet of ice. For many hockey players, the sound of skates carving on that fresh ice is just a normal part of warm-ups before a game or practice.
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"But for me, it is the sound of a place where I felt I had to hide."
Revealing he'd finally been inspired to pick sport back up again, and was now playing for the Cutting Edges Hockey Club, he added: "It felt like a bridge being built over a gap I had lived with for decades.
"I am a private person. Those who know me best know that I don’t share much if anything publicly on social media, but lately, something has sparked in me (ok – yes credit to #HeatedRivalry).
"I realised it is finally time to share a journey I have kept close to the vest for a long time."
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Admitting he'd previously been living in 'persistent fear' of his sexuality being revealed, Kortuem continued: "I wondered how I could be gay and still play such a tough and masculine sport. To my younger self, that identity could never be revealed.
"I did not think those two worlds could occupy the same person, let alone the same locker room. Coming out in the 2000s did not feel like an option, especially with so little positive representation in the media at the time."
Kortuem continued: "Like many closeted athletes, revealing who I truly was to my team would change everything in an instant, their opinion of me, could bring negative attention to the team with the 'gay player'. So I never took the chance.
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"I spent every week in a locker room with guys I respected, yet I still did not feel safe enough to tell them who I truly was."
Revealing that his life has 'never been the same' since he finally 'reconcile[d] these two halves of [his] life', Korteum wrote: "I want to speak to the athletes out there who are still in the closet or struggling to find their way."
The following day, the athlete spoke to Out magazine about how Heated Rivalry has inspired him to speak out even louder.
"I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry’s success," Kortuem confessed. "Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport.
"I’ve struggled the last few weeks to put these emotions into words, fearing the impact on team dynamics, etc."
He added: "Today, I took the step to finally tell my hockey journey and my story.
"I’m beyond grateful for all the positive comments I’ve received from past teammates and high school teammates."
Topics: Sport, TV And Film, LGBTQ
Rhianna Benson