u/Tiny_Impression_6772

TLDR; A bit of a ramble, but I guess I wanted to know if anyone has similar feelings. Weird experiencing gatekeeping from something you were so excited to share with the world.

I wasn’t an OG OG GCU reader. I know some people have been there from the Stucky days. I discovered the series right when TLG came out and quickly became obsessed. They were my comfort read books. I loved them so much. I begged anyone I talked about books with to give them a chance, but had no luck for years. I would scour Reddit for discussions, hopefully browse Ao3, put comments on TikTok begging people to read them, but I felt pretty alone with my favorite characters that I just wanted to share with the world.

When the TV show was announced I was excited, mostly for Rachel, and didn’t get my hopes us too high on how good it will be. Saw the casting announcement - went huh, not what I pictured but that’s imagination vs real life for ya. I tried to talk to friends and family about how I was excited it was coming out and that I may have to head to Canada a few times to figure out how to watch it.

Found out it was coming to HBO. Gave away my HBO login left and right trying to convince people to watch.

Then it started to gain momentum. And it was so exciting. I finally got to share my prized “possession,” and I was so happy I could finally share my joy with these stores / characters (no it’s not mine to possess, but it was that joy of lending a friend an outfit and them loving it, or your favorite toy and them having a blast, watching someone play with your pet and having the time of my life).

I was so happy (and to be honest validated) that there were people to share this specialness with. The world of people to share and experience this love of the characters with has expanded and I was so happy.

Then something happened, that happens with most passionate fanbases, the vibes began to change. Where I had loved these stories / characters and enjoyed seeing them in a new medium and sharing them with others people turned possessive and angry and started looking for villains. Claiming ownership of characters and stories, even over Rachel and Jacob themselves.

Art is art, and as one consumer I have no right to dictate how other consume it, feel about it, engage with it. But I find myself so annoyed. Where I was once excited to share and partake with others, so many new fans claim such an intense ownership over the characters and stories. And it’s not in good faith, or fun, or blowing things up. But a weird possessiveness and an unwillingness to share or engage.

And I see across the broader fandom just weird and angry actions in an attempt to possess. Either writing off other fans and saying they can’t possibly engaged they are not gay men and/ or queer, and the opposite end of the fandom where there is fetishization without respect and acknowledgment of queerness.

I love these stories because they are fun and sweet without being corny. They are also grounded with real people. Ilya’s battle with depression so much mirrored my own, that it helped me finally acknowledge I had a problem. The stories helped me examine my sexuality and my desire to be loved and love others. They aren’t supposed to be dense literary fictions that heavily engages with all the themes in them. They are light book, is direct language, that still manages to have some real engagement with more serious real world topics.

Logically I feel that everyone can consume and engage and interpret how they see fit and it doesn’t change my experience. But the irrational part of my brain has turned a bit into “I liked this band before they were cool” whenever I see people acting like that total authority and gatekeeper on these stories and characters. And it makes me sad, like instead of getting to share and play with my “toy” with others, that have run off with it.

I don’t know where this ramble going. Maybe I just wanted to see if others were having complicated feelings as well. I am so happy that the show has blown up and so many people have found joy with the show and the characters, and that a lot of this passion came because it all hit so hard and there is space for everyone at the table.

PS - latest thing to PMO is so small, but what triggered me to finally write down my feelings. Someone said - Shane would never have long hair. His sensory issues would never be able to handle it. RR and neuro typical people would never get that. As a neurodivergent person myself - WTF?! Where is the textual evidence. I am happy you found a character to connect to, but their fictional lived experience isn’t yours.

There are three books / series that I became obsessed with and I can’t figure out why. But I am looking for someone to help articulate the common linkage between these books (besides hockey) and recs that make me feel the same way.

Between the Teeth - Taylor Fitzpatrick
Game Changers (Mostly HR, RM, TLG) - Rachel Reid
Season’s Change - Cait Nary

I don’t know the link between them all but I find myself caring / feeling the love between the couples so much.

Trying to think what it may be:
- The characters feel very real and not caricature
- The dialogue is pretty realistic and they talk like real people
- In some ways a lot of these are an emotional slow burn, but the characters don’t wait until the very end to get together.
- They aren’t too saccharine or too dramatic.
- They have a dose of reality, but takes place in a world where the professional stakes / day to say life are very different from my traditional my corporate ones (not sure if that matters).

There are a lot of jokes on social media about how everyone in the league is now shaking in their skates because the Centaurs will have basically two 1Cs (like obviously playing on the first and second line, but 1C skill levels).

In the NHL what are some examples of where two generational centers are on the same team? If some exist, how scary are those teams?The only one I can think of off the top of my head are the Oilers with McDavid / Draisaitl (not sure if he would be considered generational but he is very good).

Casual hockey fan so would love some thoughts from more diehard fans on examples for the real world to compare the Centaurs to / how big of a threat it really will be in Unrivaled.

Edit: Of course also have to consider Sid/Geno

Let me be clear. I love Ilya and he had a right to take ownership over his life / career.

As the NHL draft comes to a close, free agent frenzy is about to start, and NHL captains are requesting trades it really is wild how Ilya screwed over Boston (for good reason) if he didn’t tell them he plans to resign. He really took the opportunity away for his team to get something for him his last year of his contract and just walked away for nothing. Thinking about how the Canucks got to trade Hughes and CBJ is now going to trade Werenski.

I am a casual hockey fan, but this does seem wild to me. Can a more intense hockey fan weight in? Was this kinda rough to the team? What are similar examples where a player did give a heads up that they were not going to sign an extension?

Note: I realize we don’t know what happened that last year and maybe Ilya was clear that it wasn’t a given that he would resign. Also realize he may have had a no movement clause making it void, but weird in the locker room.

EDIT: THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION. I am not asking for recommendations, although I appreciate them.

I loved the Game Changer series when I read it for the first time in 2023. They became my comfort books to reread and I felt like I was screaming into the void asking other people to read them.

I feel kind of similar about the Between the Teeth series by Taylor Fitzpatrick. Nothing will replace the HR, RM, TLG books for me but it really does scratch an itch.

It follows David, the #2 draft pick (Canadian) and his secret on and off relationship with Jake,the #1 draft pick (American). Think Shane Hollander — generational talent, undiagnosed autism, hockey is everything — but raised by emotionally negligent parents who left him with no idea how to connect with people. Watching him slowly blossom and build a full life (and finally understand the sweetest, most devoted love interest) is genuinely one of the most heartwarming character journeys I've read.

Fair warning: David’s not immediately likable. But stick with him. The growth and the love story are so worth it.

Bonus for anyone who gets hooked: Taylor Fitzpatrick is a prolific original hockey fiction writer on AO3 with a whole universe of interconnected series. Three series have been officially published as books, but there's a ton of bonus content on AO3 and Patreon — including all the side characters' stories. Plenty to dive into after.

If anyone has read this, please leave a comment. I feel so alone with my love for these characters.

First: Let’s Go Knicks!

I am caving (f* VGK) and want to watch the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals. Are there any bars in Park Slope / Cobble Hill / Downtown Brooklyn / Boerum Hill / Gowanus / BK Heights / Clinton Hill showing games 5 or 6 (fingers crossed Canes shut it down and we don’t need a game 7)?

Been going to Liberty Games since the team came to Barclay’s and I LOVE IT. I am super excited because I will be taking my friends daughter to her first Liberty game (and basketball game) this weekend! She is turning 4 in August.

I have no children / have never gone to a game with a child. Any tips and tricks and tricks would be appreciated. Are there activations we should check out (know it’s Ellie’s birthday)? Times we should try to get there by or leave?

Her parents are big baseball fans so she has been to many baseball games so won’t be a completely new experience.

So excited to begin indoctrinating the next generation!!!

Cross-posting

Jacob has said countless times in interviews that they didn’t make heated rivalry to be preachy or try to fix society. However there has been real impact. Pop culture has more eyes than ever on hockey asking it to be an inclusive places. Players are asked about homophobia (and maybe it’s lips service) but condemning it to large audiences is being normalized. The NHL after back tracking on pride nights is having more and more fans ask where are they.

Change won’t happen at the NHL level, but I’m hoping it’s opening up appetites for change at a junior level - especially with more eyes on hockey than ever. And combined with the Olympics - what a boost for the PWHL.

With that in mind I really hope Troy’s journey is really emphasized in Season 2. Obviously it will be in service to Hollanov. Troy’s journey with self acceptance and coming out acting at times as a parallel and other times as a foil to both Shane and Ilya’s.

But I also help we shine a light not just on the homophobia and racism that exists in hockey but the issues with sexism and assault (against men and woman). I just listened to We Breed Lions about Canada’s (and North American in general) hockey culture and it is so incredibly devastating. I just hope if Troy’s story is done right it can bring more awareness to this dark side of hockey, which is intrinsically linked to homophobia and how we as a society in general support systems of abuse and often protect abusers and punish victims. It’s also just top of mind with Vegas going to the Stanley Cup finals with Hart and Howden against the Canes - which honestly haven’t been that much better (let’s be honest. Every NHL team has some bad dudes on the ice and/or in the office).

Heated rivalry is just such an amazing story of queer joy that through just being really good has opened dialogue and started coversations - and I just hope Troy’s story is in enough of season 2 that those conversations can grow.

And also press releases have started about how Bettman (NHL commissioner) is ready to speak to how he would handle things differently than the commissioner in season 2 with players coming out - but I want him to be held a bit more to the fire about the persavivness of sexual violence in hockey.

Jacob has said countless times in interviews that they didn’t make heated rivalry to be preachy or try to fix society. However there has been real impact. Pop culture has more eyes than ever on hockey asking it to be an inclusive places. Players are asked about homophobia (and maybe it’s lips service) but condemning it to large audiences is being normalized. The NHL after back tracking on pride nights is having more and more fans ask where are they.

Change won’t happen at the NHL level, but I’m hoping it’s opening up appetites for change at a junior level - especially with more eyes on hockey than ever. And combined with the Olympics - what a boost for the PWHL.

With that in mind I really hope Troy’s journey is really emphasized in Season 2. Obviously it will be in service to Hollanov. Troy’s journey with self acceptance and coming out acting at times as a parallel and other times as a foil to both Shane and Ilya’s.

But I also help we shine a light not just on the homophobia and racism that exists in hockey but the issues with sexism and assault (against men and woman). I just listened to We Breed Lions about Canada’s (and North American in general) hockey culture and it is so incredibly devastating. I just hope if Troy’s story is done right it can bring more awareness to this dark side of hockey, which is intrinsically linked to homophobia and how we as a society in general support systems of abuse and often protect abusers and punish victims. It’s also just top of mind with Vegas going to the Stanley Cup finals with Hart and Howden against the Canes - which honestly haven’t been that much better (let’s be honest. Every NHL team has some bad dudes on the ice and/or in the office).

Heated rivalry is just such an amazing story of queer joy that through just being really good has opened dialogue and started coversations - and I just hope Troy’s story is in enough of season 2 that those conversations can grow.

And also press releases have started about how Bettman (NHL commissioner) is ready to speak to how he would handle things differently than the commissioner in season 2 with players coming out - but I want him to be held a bit more to the fire about the persavivness of sexual violence in hockey.

Before I share my request, I want to say I have complete respect for authors who choose to interpret hockey however they want for their fics. Write what you love!

That said, I’ve been reading a lot of sports romances lately while simultaneously watching a ton of the hockey playoffs (both NHL & PWHL). With the actual sport so top of mind, it’s become really hard for me to ignore glaring inaccuracies.

Because of that, I’m on the hunt for some well-written fics where the hockey details are accurate and grounded. I would love any recommendations where the author clearly knows puck or did their research.

My main requirement is just that the hockey needs to actually make sense. I love a good storyline, but my immersion completely breaks when basic NHL rules, logistics, and lifestyle facts are totally ignored. To give you an idea of what I mean, here is a list of the specific things that I'd love to avoid:

Gameplay & Terminology

• Calling it a "match" or using "halves" or "quarters." It’s a game, and it’s played in three periods.
• Handshakes at the end of a regular-season game. Save the handshake line for the end of a playoff series.
• Divisional or conference rivals playing each other for the Stanley Cup. That’s structurally impossible with the NHL playoff bracket.

Team Dynamics, Coaching, & Culture

• Captains coaching or running practices. That’s what the coaching staff is paid for.
• Using the term "Assistant Captains." It’s an Alternate Captain (even if MacKinnon jokingly called it an assistant the other day).

[Edit: the Canadians have corrected me, and this is acceptable]

• Physical fights in the locker room. They can chirp and scream at each other, but the room is a professional workplace, not a fight club.
• Erasing locker room culture. These are hockey players. They are absolutely going to chirp, rag on each other, and talk trash. Making them too soft completely takes me out of it.
• Skipping basic hygiene. The players need to actually shower after games before putting on their post-game suits.

Logistics, Lifestyle, & Shane's Characterization

• Nonsensical front-office moves. Trades that completely ignore the salary cap, trade deadlines, or No-Trade/No-Movement clauses. (Huge bonus points if the fic actually references these mechanics realistically).

• Players having endless free time. The NHL schedule during the season is a grueling, exhausting grind of travel, practice, and games. (Side note: no way could they be parents which both playing professionally)

• Stripping away Shane being a jock. He has been playing elite-level hockey for most of his life in loud arenas and incredibly high-pressure situations. He is totally fine in that environment; it's his element, so making him anxious about the noise or pressure feels wrong.

• Shane being terrified of hits or contact. He is a top athlete in a violent, aggressive sport. He isn't going to cower every time someone finishes a check.

Thank you!!

Edit: Need to add a point from the comments. Players carrying their own gear / taking it home.