A look at the trend, the gaps, and the inclusive stories worth cheering for

I’ll be honest: hockey romance has never been my thing.

As a reader, I gravitate toward fantasy and historical romance—give me enchanted forests or a slow-burn across a ballroom, and I’m hooked. When I do dip into contemporary romance, it’s usually either YA or something in the STEMinist realm. So when I started seeing hockey romances everywhere, I was curious… but hesitant.

At a recent conference, I casually mentioned this to a vendor: “Hockey romances seem to be everywhere right now.” Honestly, as someone who grew up with the Mighty Ducks and Cutting Edge movie eras, I did suspect that nostalgia could be behind the puck. (Or maybe it is just that people love the play on words with using “puck” in their titles).

Whatever the reason, the vendor nodded and replied:

“That’s because they make up about 70% of the romance being published right now.”

That number sounded extreme, so I decided to do a little research of my own.

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🧊 The Real Numbers Behind the Trend

While there’s no verified source confirming that 70% of all romance novels being published are hockey-themed, there’s no denying the surge in popularity.

Here’s what we do know:

• 📈 According to Romancing the Data, the number of hockey romance titles on romance.io grew by 193% between 2022 and 2024—from 247 to 723.
• 🏒 As of mid-2024, hockey made up over 50% of all sports romance titles on that platform.
• 📚 The Washington Post reported that all 10 of Amazon’s top sports romance bestsellers at one point were hockey-themed.
• 📱 TikTok is a major driver—#HockeyRomance has pulled in millions of views in a single week, according to the Boston Globe.

So while the 70% number may be anecdotal, it’s clear: hockey romance is dominating the current market, particularly in the contemporary space.

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🧣 Why I Haven’t Been Swept Into the Trend

Honestly? I’ve been a little put off. The closest I get to sports is my Wednesday night 9-ball league. Though, I can probably name every Major League Baseball team and a decent number of the football teams. However, I have never see the appeal of hockey—-and I am not alone in this.

Hockey—as a sport—is still seen as predominantly white, cishet, and male. And when the stories we read center that same image over and over again, it can start to feel repetitive… even exclusionary.

One of my bookish friends put it bluntly:

“Hockey is a way to market to racist, conservative readers and the more open-minded ones. It feels safe for publishers—white, masculine, and straight enough to sell across the board.”

That comment stuck with me.

It’s not that all hockey romances are lacking representation—but when one kind of story becomes the industry default, others get pushed to the sidelines.

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🧊 Is Hockey Really a Diverse Sport?

It’s worth taking a moment to step off the fictional rink and look at real-life hockey culture—because the lack of diversity on the ice often mirrors what we see in many hockey romance books.

The reality? Hockey is still one of the least diverse professional sports in North America.

• According to ESPN’s coverage of the NHL’s first internal diversity report, over 90% of NHL players, coaches, and officials are white, and 83.6% of league staff also identify as white.
• Youth participation among marginalized groups remains low, partly because the cost of playing hockey is extremely high. In competitive youth leagues, a single season can run into the thousands—even entry-level programs can be prohibitive (The Hockey Think Tank).
• In Canada, hockey’s cultural home, participation in youth hockey has declined nearly 22% between 2010 and 2022, with financial access being a significant factor (AP News).
• LGBTQ+ representation in professional hockey is minimal. In 2021, Luke Prokop became the first active player under NHL contract to come out as gay (WISN News)—and few have followed. While the NHL promotes Hockey is for Everyone, players and advocates have criticized the league for offering inconsistent or performative support (Reddit discussion via The Athletic).

So when someone says hockey romances “just reflect the sport,” it’s worth asking what that really means—and whether the lack of inclusion on the page is just an extension of what’s happening in the rink.

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🏳️‍🌈 What I Did Find: Diverse Hockey Romances

While researching the trend, I went looking for titles that break the mold—books that reflect a broader range of love stories, with queer characters, BIPOC leads, trans rep, and neurodivergent narratives. I haven’t read these myself, but they came up consistently as recommendations from trusted reviewers and inclusive book lists.

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📚 Diverse Hockey Romances Worth Exploring:

1. Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei (YA, M/M, biracial lead)
   Queer college rivals, mental health themes, and tender emotional arcs.
2. Role Model by Rachel Reid (M/M)
   A closeted NHL player falls for the team’s openly gay social media manager. Warm, thoughtful, and part of a popular series.
3. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (M/M)
   Rivals-to-lovers slow burn between two pro players. A fan favorite in queer romance.
4. Home Ice by Olivia Lynd (M/M with trans heroine)
   A spicy, heartfelt standalone about a transgender heroine who moves back to her hometown and falls for the local hockey goalie neighbor—genuine emotional depth and trans representation in a small-town hockey setting
5. Two-Man Team by Amy Aislin (M/M)
   A pansexual protagonist and a heartfelt second-chance romance in a small-town setting. There are a few similar titles in this series.
6. Off the Ice by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn (M/M)
   Queer romance that tackles privilege, identity, and personal growth with nuance.

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Final Thoughts

Romance is a genre that thrives on emotion, tension, and connection—and there’s clearly something about hockey that’s captured readers’ imaginations right now. But when one subgenre starts dominating the landscape, it’s worth asking:
What kinds of stories are we prioritizing? And who’s being left on the bench?

While hockey romance may not be in my regular rotation, I’m rooting for the authors who are widening the rink—bringing in voices and perspectives that reflect the full spectrum of love.

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💬 Know a diverse or hockey-adjacent romance I should check out? Drop it in the comments or tag me on Instagram @jhopwood80. I may not be a hockey convert yet… but I’m willing to be surprised.