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Heated Rivalry for realz: a fascinating and timely examination of ice hockey through a queer lens
Conversations around the phenomenal success of the TV series Heated Rivalry have put a spotlight on LGBTQ+ hockey players at a cultural moment when queer and trans folk in sports are being bullied and scapegoated. When author Daniel Gawthrop laced on his first pair of skates as a twelve-year-old Peewee house league player in 1975, he never imagined he would grow up to start a gay men's hockey club. Nor that his mainstream media musings about the beauty of "Russian Rocket" Pavel Bure would prompt "straight" commentary by everyone from Don Cherry to The Village Voice. These stories and more form the heart of Cutting Edge, a fascinating probe into the role of gender, masculinity, and sexuality in defining—and too often demeaning—Canada's national sport.
Examining the game through a queer lens, Gawthrop reveals how hockey has evolved from the bastion of straight white male machismo it used to be into a sport where women and players of all ethnicities are welcome and where gender-diverse people now have safe places to play. At the same time, hockey's powers that be—from scandal-ridden Hockey Canada to the overly cautious NHL—have been reluctant to embrace change, especially in light of the growing social pushback against queers in sport.
And then there's Heated Rivalry, whose unexpected mainstream success has led to questions about whether it will encourage queer professional players to finally come out, all while introducing the sport to new generations of fans. With great insight and verve, Cutting Edge explores this phenomenon and more, pointing the way to a better, more modern, and more inclusive kind of hockey.
"An inspirational and unique perspective on a sport beloved by so many. This book demonstrates how, when hockey includes more diverse players and fans, the culture of the game itself will change, and hockey will become a better place for all."
—Betty Baxter, author of Outspoken: A Journey from Olympic Athlete to Activist
"Love letter, reminiscence, and critique by a lifelong hockey fan, here's a comprehensive and progressive account of what the sport is—and can become. Impressively, too, Gawthrop's enthusiasm is infectious enough to keep me—a lifelong hockey nonfan—wholly engrossed."
—Brett Josef Grubisic, author of The Age of Cities and My Two-Faced Luck
"Can anyone besides white straight bros truly love a game as rife with ugly fights, casual racism, and toxic masculinity as hockey? That screaming you hear from the stands is women, LGBTQ+, and racialized fans shouting 'Of course!' Still, in the National Hockey League's 109-year history, no active player has ever come out as gay. In his exploration of the alternative game, Daniel Gawthrop shows us that it doesn't have to be this way. Cutting Edge is a must-read for queer hockey lovers—in all senses of the phrase."
—Carellin Brooks, author of One Hundred Days of Rain
"Cutting Edge is an incredibly timely and personal examination of hockey at its cultural crossroads. Daniel Gawthrop honours the beauty of the game while confronting the masculinity, gatekeeping, and institutional hesitation that have shaped it while seamlessly highlighting LGBTQ+ milestones in the sport's history. Gawthrop argues persuasively that queerness is not outside hockey's history and is certainly part of its future. This book is a treasure trove of information, 5 stars."
—Ren Dawe, Education and Programs Director, You Can Play
Daniel Gawthrop (he/him) is the author of six non-fiction books, including The Trial of Pope Benedict and The Rice Queen Diaries (both Arsenal Pulp Press), and one novel, Double Karma (Cormorant Books). A co-founder of the Cutting Edges, Vancouver's LGBTQ+ hockey association, he has written extensively about hockey for numerous publications. He lives in New Westminster, BC.