The NHL has launched "Hot for Hockey," a campaign featuring short, romance-novel-inspired stories about real players, available on audiobook platforms. The first batch includes Philadelphia Flyers' Trevor Zegras, Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho, and Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel. According to WIRED, the stories are written by romance authors and promoted through BookTok, but they read more like back-cover summaries than actual romance, with no romantic pairings.
Reaction from the romance community has been sharply negative. Best-selling hockey romance novelist Emily Rath said she turned down the league's invitation, and other authors, including Chelsea Curto, also declined. Critics accuse the NHL of pandering and mocking the genre, pointing to alleged AI cover renders and a slide deck filled with jokes. Some fans see the campaign as a shallow attempt to cash in on the hockey romance trend while ignoring deeper issues like homophobia, toxic masculinity, and sexual assault allegations in the sport.
The NHL defends the campaign as a "playful nod" to the cultural zeitgeist, and spokesperson Jon Weinstein says the league partnered with real authors and voice actors. But critics note contradictions, such as the league's ban on Pride-themed jerseys and some teams dropping Pride Nights, even as it courts romance readers. Lacey Conine, founder of Double Hockey Stix, said the campaign feels like the NHL is "mocking you, and pandering to you, and making fun of you"—a sentiment that suggests the business move may backfire with its intended audience.