Before the fun BookTok trope hierarchy filters, before hot athletes on social media, and even before Kindle Unlimited, there was a niche readership who dedicated themselves to hockey romances.
While the internet might have you believe that this is a new theme that is growing alongside the rise of women’s interest in sports, Gen X and older millennial writers and readers have been foaming over hockey heroes for decades already. And while there has been decades of gatekeeping of women from sports, hockey and sports romances are a place where those rules definitely do not, and should not, apply.
Sports romances have always, and still continue to be, a safe space for women to explore sports while still indulging in the romantic aspects – because who is hotter than an athlete and what creates more drama on and off the page than sport?
Whether taking you deeper into a world you already love or teaching you whole new rules and cultures around a sport you may never have watched before, there is still space for deepest fantasies and happy endings (keep your jokes to yourself).
While there may have been other sporting romances around in previous decades – from the occasional meet cute on the NFL field or a run at love on the baseball diamond – the National Hockey League was where a lot of readers’ hearts truly indulged. These books walked steadily alongside other romance tropes so that the sports romances of the next generation could run.
After all that work, the turning point is finally happening – women and girls are finally able to open up about their enjoyment of romance novels as well as their love of the whole spectrum of sports, without shame or gatekeeping.
So, as a tribute to those that have come before, here are our top six favourite mini tropes you might find within the pages of any hockey romance:
- Aboot: with over 40% of NHL players hailing for Canada, there is plenty of northern charm on offer, from potential small town upbringings to their cute pronunciations that can turn an intimidating athlete into someone worth falling in love with. There are also a considerable percentage of players from Sweden, Russia, or Finland, giving plenty of scope for cute accents, traditions, and vibes.
- Suits: if he works in sports he’s probably going to be in a suit every once in a while. Expensive, well tailored, and often held together by a pair of mesmerising braces. From travelling to the games to attending gala nights, these guys can do a lot more than just get sweaty and physical on the ice – they can scrub up pretty well too… and possibly take their heroines along to be the ultimate power couple.
- A great introduction to sports: whether you know anything about hockey or not, romantic fiction is still a great way to learn the rules and culture of the game, free of mansplaining or snobbery. There is no simpler, or more fun, way to learn than by going behind the scenes with a guy who readers are about to fall in love with.
- He’s passionate: these heroes are at the top of their game and there is only one road to get there – commitment, determination, and passion. There is little more attractive than a capable and hands-on man who is dedicated to the things he loves. He’s overcome everything to find success, which may include trophies, money, and the respect and adoration of fans. And as soon as he turns that attention and passion to his heroine? Game over.
- A whole franchise: the great thing about most sports is that they come in teams. Not only does this give us plenty of hilarious banter and a great supporting cast, but it also means the book series could become potentially limitless. Readers can move from player to player, season after season, until they’ve read what a whole roster of hot hockey players have to offer.
- A few bumps and bruises: he’s sweaty from practice, maybe a little beat up after a game, or fully fist fighting on the ice to protect his team and his reputation. It’s masculine, it’s cliché, but it’s timelessly hot. It’s also a perfect chance for him so show his vulnerable side and maybe let our heroine fix him up for once.
Previous book reading generations have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the many series that came out of this hot and ground-breaking genre – a mantle which is now being taken up by the millions of romance readers who are following.
With the changes to sports, their audiences, and the involvement and enjoyment of more women and girls of all ages, the sports trope is evolving far beyond the NHL. American football and football/soccer are now evolving to meet cutes on the golf course or the Formula One race track. Even lacrosse and ice skating are growing in both readership and viewership. Whatever your favourite sport is, there is probably a love story for that.
Plus, these books are no longer limited to our hetro-normative hero and heroine dynamic. With the recognition that not only straight men watch and play sports there are now multitudes of queer romances in every sport and every kind of relationship. What may have previously been confined to fan fiction sites, or maybe not even conceived at all, is now falling into main stream fiction and being enjoyed just as much as the old-school hockey romances that came before.
There are plenty of hockey BookTok recommendations which have topped the charts in the last two years but here are some recommendations from an old school romance reader:
- The Seattle Chinooks series by Rachel Gibson – with seven books, from hot sports journalists to female franchise owners, secret pregnancies to retired players, this series has it all covered.
- Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen – a perfect mix between old school style romance with a modern vibe, complete with a sunshine heroine and a moody hero.
If sports isn’t for you, or you’re a veteran and want to try something new, why not check out the rest of this series where we’ve explored everything from the ins and outs of the siblings best friend trope to surprise pregnancies, as well as the fan favourite enemies-to-lovers, and why we want to run away to a small town.
Words by Gemma-Louise Walsh
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