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Following the success of Heated Rivalry, which has taken the world by storm in a shocking turn of events, a hockey player, Jesse Kortuem, has come out as gay.
Speaking to Out magazine on Wednesday, January 14, Kortuem noted, "I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry's success."
He added, "Today, I took the step to finally tell my hockey journey and my story. I'm beyond grateful for all the positive comments I've received from past teammates and high school teammates."
Korteum opened up about his personal journey in a heartfelt Facebook post on Tuesday, sharing his struggles of balancing the sport with his sexuality when he was young and spending most of his career in the closet.
Crediting the positive reaction Heated Rivalry, which follows the romance between two closeted hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), garnered from the masses, Kortuem penned that "something has sparked in me" to go public.
Sharing that he felt the need to hide parts of his identity, the hockey player said, "Growing up as the youngest of four boys in the #StateOfHockey (Minnesota), sports and competition were not just what we did. They were who we were."
Kortuem continued that without much positive representation, coming out while playing hockey in the 2000s "did not feel like an option," and that he quit his high school team at 17.
He went back to playing hockey "at a high level" as an adult, though he "still could not bring myself to be fully out on my adult hockey teams."
Kortuem revealed that just like many closeted athletes, he did not reveal his identity in fear of the team receiving negative attention, fearing that people he was close to would change their opinion of him.
Eventually, Kortuem said he found community in a gay hockey tournament in 2017, describing the experience as life-changing.
He now plays for the Cutting Edges Hockey Club, an LGBTQIA+ hockey team in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Kortuem said that he has "finally found my peace" and feels "there is room for all of us on the ice."
Addressing athletes who may still be in the closet, he continued, "I want you to know that there is hope and you're not alone. There is a life and a deep happiness waiting for you on your path. You will get through this, and it is going to be okay."
Heated Rivalry, which is based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series, has already been renewed for a second season, though details about the release date have not been reported.
