FILE - Since it debuted in late November, “Heated Rivalry,” a six-episode series about two gay hockey players, has taken the world by storm.

Spoilers for Heated Rivalry through Episode 5. 

Since it debuted in late November, “Heated Rivalry,” a six-episode series about two gay hockey players, has taken the world by storm. Based on Canadian author Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” novels and featuring a number of clandestine bedroom scenes, “Heated Rivalry” has skyrocketed to the most popular series on HBO Max. For some, the show even overtook Christmas as the marquee event of the past week. 

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But surprisingly, the antagonist of the show isn’t a homophobic hockey bro, it’s a made-up team from San Francisco.

Of course, San Francisco doesn’t actually have a major league hockey team. The squad in question appears to be a stand-in for the San Jose Sharks. Not dissimilarly........

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