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Heated Rivalry altered lives. It changed the narrative for queer stories, romance books, and Canadian TV forever. People will continue to feel the impact of this show and everything it stands for. But that doesn’t mean its become the new blueprint for every romance TV series.

No part of what I’m about to dive into changes those facts—this is not an attack piece. This is a deeper look into how Off Campus and Heated Rivalry couldn’t be more different, and the importance of letting each show shine.

Off Campus will now be the third skating romance TV series to drop in the last six months, after Heated Rivalry and Finding Her Edge. It’s not an easy spot to be in, and people only seem to be making it harder. I think social media is quite effective at driving the narrative that the show is following the trend of hockey romances. The reality is that the film and TV world works so slowly, and the Off Campus adaptation was ordered almost two years ago, on October 1, 2024. Book 1 in the series was released in 2016.

We don’t know what the inner conversations are around the release date of shows such as Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, but they could influence each other, and they might not. 6 months have now separated the two hockey romances, and I thought that was plenty of time to distinguish them, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I was unimpressed, but not surprised, to see many people start labelling Off Campus as the “knock-off” or “temu” Heated Rivalry. It’s an easy comparison on the outside, but I think readers of both series will get why they are inherently not. On the surface, they are both spicy hockey romances, but that’s where the similarities end…

For example:

Shane and Ilya are both forced into hiding their love for each other, whereas Garrett and Hannah enter a fake dating scheme.
Heated Rivalry takes place in the NHL, and Off-Campus takes place in college, well before graduation.

I see them as two very different shows that happen to involve hockey. It could be any sport, and the heart of the novel would remain in each.

The root of today’s newsletter comes from the world premiere of Off Campus, which took place in LA last week. I was also in attendance, and while that could make me a bit biased, it also gives me a bit of an inside scoop. I also think this portion is where my disappointment mainly comes from. I’ve seen countless moments from the premiere that involve asking the cast about Heated Rivalry and what Heated Rivalry fans will love about Off Campus. I have two problems with them.

Not every Heated Rivalry fan will love Off Campus (and that’s okay)! Some might like it more, and others might find Heated Rivalry because of Off Campus.
Why are we asking cast members about a show that’s not theirs?

Asking leading questions that already insinuate an answer is unfair to the cast and puts them in a tough spot. They’re forced to bring it back to what they are there to do: Talk about their own show! The way they’ve diverted around the question tells me everyone knew these questions were coming and had to properly prepare for them. A common question they got asked was “Why will Heated Rivalry fans be obsessed with Off Campus?”

Their responses were incredible:

Belmont Camelli (Garrett Graham): “There’s been love stories around sports for a really long time. It’s just nice that hockey has kind of splashed onto that scene.

Chad Willett (Coach Jensen): “Well I think it’s more about the people who have actually read the books prior to this. I mean there’s a huge built-in audience for Off Campus. So as long as we’re making those fans happy and portraying those characters on screen, then we’re doing our job. We’re not competing with other tv shows

I can also appreciate that Stephen Kalyn (Dean Di Laurentis) was quick to show admiration for the show as a Canadian. But the fact of the matter is that they shouldn’t have to say any of that. This is the first big role in many of these cast members' careers, and it should be celebrated. Instead of letting them have their moment, we’re comparing it to another hockey show.

As someone who interviews authors and celebrities every week, I can’t help but be disappointed in some of these interview questions. I’m not even close to being an expert in journalism, but let’s not ask about other shows! The comments in the above video all seem to agree on that as well.

Despite the narrative that this is just a silly hockey romance, I think the show provides so much more than what meets the eye. People shouldn’t have to defend it, but for today’s purpose, I will dive into how Off Campus drives an emotional impact and connection with readers.

Hannah’s previous sexual assault is a huge part of her backstory, but it doesn’t define her. We get to see her grow and become more comfortable in herself and in her sex life.
Garrett grew up in an abusive household with his father after his mother passed away.
The entire series follows a group of college students navigating love, identity, ambition, and uncertainty. There’s something deeply relatable in that stage of life.
Several storylines explore what it looks like to walk away from people who diminish you and how hard that decision can be.

But on the flip side, this could be a surface-level hockey romance, and I’d still have the same opinion. Shows and their casts and crews deserve their own moment in the spotlight without being compared. This isn’t a competition.

➡️ Do you think it’s fair to compare new romance adaptations to Heated Rivalry, or does that take away from what shows like Off Campus are trying to do? What kind of questions do you want to see at TV/movie premieres?

Not Everything Needs to Be the Next Heated Rivalry.

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