Bruins star Charlie McAvoy discusses impact of 'Heated Rivalry' on hockey inclusivity

"Heated Rivalry" has stayed successful the spotlight since its November debut and U.S. streaming release.

After the Bruins’ 4-3 triumph implicit the Vegas Golden Knights connected Thursday, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy addressed the series’ power connected hockey and inclusivity successful the sport.

"I deliberation it's growing, I deliberation the league has done large things," McAvoy said successful notation to the NHL’s advancement connected inclusion. He besides stressed the Bruins’ committedness to creating a welcoming environment. "Here wrong our room, we've tried to bash things arsenic good to echo that connection and to marque everyone consciousness harmless and comfy wrong the game. It's precise important."

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Charlie McAvoy (73) of the Boston Bruins awaits a face-off during the crippled against the Edmonton Oilers astatine Rogers Place connected Dec. 19, 2024, successful Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Leila Devlin/Getty Images)

"I haven't seen it but from what I've heard of that show, it's been increasing the crippled a batch and successful enactment of that community, truthful that stuff's each awesome. It's awesome for hockey. It's awesome for conscionable for everybody. So, I'm blessed that tonight, that we won connected this night. And hopefully a batch of radical consciousness the enactment of the Bruins."

McAvoy added, "I’ve heard truthful overmuch enactment from radical wrong those communities that it means a batch to them. So, it’s the slightest that we tin bash to amusement our enactment and amusement that we’re each connected the aforesaid team."

The sports play bid is simply a tv adaptation of Rachel Reid’s caller bid "Game Changers." It follows an off-ice romance betwixt Shane Hollander, a fictional Canadian hockey star, and Ilya Rozanov, a fictional Russian pro.

Logo connected an NHL puck during the warmup play earlier the crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens astatine the Bell Centre connected April 5, 2025 successful Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Eric Bolte/Imagn Images)

The bid adjacent won implicit NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who said helium binge-watched and praised its storytelling.

"I’ve watched each six episodes. I binged it successful 1 night," Bettman said past week astatine Capital One Arena successful Washington, D.C.

‘HEATED RIVALRY’ ACTORS LAND OLYMPIC ROLE AS TORCHBEARERS FOR MILANO CORTINA OLYMPICS

"I thought the storyline was precise compelling and a batch of fun, due to the fact that I could (see) wherever they were picking astatine things that we had successful the past, whether it was (Olympics) successful Sochi oregon the All-Star Game successful Tampa. It was precise good done."

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, the pb actors successful the sports romance TV series, person been selected arsenic torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics. After portraying Olympic-level rivals connected screen, Storrie and Williams volition person the accidental to play a relation successful the real-life Games. 

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams be the premiere of "Heated Rivalry" astatine TIFF Lightbox connected Nov. 24, 2025 successful Toronto, Ontario.  (Harold Feng/Getty Images)

While neither histrion volition really vie connected the crystal astatine the Olympics, they volition get different infinitesimal successful the spotlight during the Olympic Torch Relay. When and wherever Storrie and Williams volition beryllium progressive successful the relay has not yet been revealed.

As of Thursday, the torch was successful Trieste, Italy, with 13 cities remaining connected its way to Milan. The 2026 Winter Games tally from Feb. 6 done Feb. 22.

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"Heated Rivalry" has been renewed for a 2nd season.

The Bruins stay astatine location connected Saturday for a matchup with the Montreal Canadiens.

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