Key information
The National Hockey League has introduced a romance novel-inspired promotional campaign titled Hot for Hockey featuring short audio stories about league players. According to the Sports Business Journal, the league enlisted popular hockey romance authors to write and narrate the sixty to ninety second audio pieces.
The initial audio releases feature athletes such as Trevor Zegras, Sebastian Aho, and Jack Eichel. Written by author C.R. Jane, the segments function more like back-cover summaries rather than traditional romance novels and omit romantic partners entirely.
Romance readers and authors have criticized the campaign. Best-selling novelist Emily Rath stated on Threads that she swiftly rejected an offer from the league to participate, expressing intense anger over the project. Critics argue the initiative invites player sexual harassment and acts as shallow pandering.
NHL spokesperson Jon Weinstein defended the project in a statement to WIRED, describing it as a playful nod to the cultural zeitgeist and expressing gratitude to the participating authors and players.
