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Real-life ‘Heated Rivalry’: Documentary to share aspiring NHL player’s story
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- Real-life ‘Heated Rivalry’: Documentary to share aspiring NHL player’s story
"Heated Rivalry," a Canadian TV series featuring gay hockey players, emerged as a surprise hit for HBO Max. Its viewership reached 10.6 million, making it HBO Max's top scripted acquired series .
The show also came as a surprise to Luke Prokop , a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2020. As the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game in 2023, Prokop said he was initially hesitant to watch the series.
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"I was living in this reality and didn't want the perception of other people — to think that was how I was," Prokop told Joe Smith of The Athletic . "And I was a little bit scared to kind of watch the show because of that. I was getting asked so many questions about it."
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Smith, a senior NHL reporter, interviewed Prokop about "Heated Rivalry," his career and a new documentary about Prokop's experience.
On Monday, producers announced a June documentary about Prokop's career, "The Hockey Player." Amazon Prime and Apple TV will stream the documentary. In Canada, it will air on OUTtv.
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Prokop, a 6-foot-6, 224-pound defenseman, plays for the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He has three goals and five assists in 37 games. Prokop, 23, has not yet played an NHL game.
He came out in 2021 while playing in the WHL. "I didn't have any bad reactions from family members or friends," he told Smith. "No one exiled me from their life. It was all super positive."
Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Luke Prokop (6) shoots against the Texas Stars in a 2025 game at the UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Credit: Journal Sentinel via Imagn Images
Prokop has a boyfriend, Charlie. who lives in Saskatchewan. He told Smith he is surprised no other hockey player, either in the NHL or lower levels, came out.
Prokop finally watched "Heated Rivalry," which wrapped its first season on Dec. 26. He came away impressed, calling the show "worthy of the hype" and "great for hockey."
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