Heated Rivalry's Success Played A Critical Role In The Upcoming Release Of Luke Prokop's Documentary

When Heated Rivalry was released as a television series back in late November, it took the hockey and gay community by storm. It set records with 16 wins at the Canadian Screen Awards.

The show's impression was felt and heard around the hockey world. One particular impact it had was on Luke Prokop's new documentary called The Hockey Player. Upper Canada Films has a documentary, The Hockey Player, coming out on June 29 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+, which follows Prokop's personal journey while playing pro hockey.

In fact, without the success of Heated Rivalry, Prokop's documentary might not have been released.

"My documentary wouldn't have been able to be out to the public if it weren't for the show," Prokop told TheHockeyNews.com.

1-On-1: Luke Prokop Balances Pro Hockey And His Responsibility To Blaze Trail For Gay Players

Ahead of the release of his documentary, Luke Prokop discusses the five years since becoming the first openly gay player under an NHL contract, how he stays present for those who reach out to him and more.

There is another side to the show that put Prokop in an awkward spot as the only openly gay men's professional hockey player. Although he was "late to the party" in terms of watching the series, as a steamy and romantic show, Prokop admitted that "there are some things that maybe I didn't really want to get associated with."

"Being the only openly gay player in men's professional hockey, I didn't want someone who didn't know me at all to be watching that show and thinking that's how I acted in the locker room and stuff like that," Prokop said.

The 24-year-old defenseman admitted that it took some getting used to, and he faced a lot of questions about the show, which he needed to watch himself.

In the end, there was still plenty of good that the show brought to the community, with Prokop as a trailblazer and a big reason for new fans getting into hockey.

"There was a lot of stuff that I could relate to, though," he said. "I think a lot of professional athletes who have come out, there's a lot of different things they could relate to.

"I think the show did a fantastic job of putting awareness to a community that's been… I feel like desperate to get into hockey," Prokop added. "I think hockey gained a lot more new fans from it, and then it was kind of up to the teams and the leagues around the world to be open to the movie and the show. I think it did a really good job for the sport of hockey."

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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 12:55 PM.