Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The Deal by Elle Kennedy Book Cover on light green background
The Deal by Elle Kennedy Book Cover on light green background
Bloom Books / Amazon
U Vic | Culture > Entertainment

Hockey Romances: From the Page to the Screen

Paige Peters Student Contributor, University of Victoria
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Vic chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Hockey romance is in the air this winter. There’s something about the chilly weather that makes a girl want to read a book set in a cold arena—it just makes sense. The steam in these books is sure to melt any ice! Hockey romances are really having their moment this year, and they don’t seem to be slowing down in popularity. Two of the most popular book series are even getting their own TV adaptations.

Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy

Consisting of five standalone (but interconnected) books, the series starts with The Deal, following Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham. Hannah and Garrett first cross paths when he desperately needs help to pass a class to be able to remain a student-athlete, and the captain of the hockey team, while Hannah is acing the class. Hannah only agrees when Garret suggests a trade in services: he’ll fake date her to make her desirable to her football-playing crush, and she’ll tutor him. It’s perfect until feelings get involved. 

Off-Campus has no release date yet, but it will be airing on Amazon Prime sometime in 2026. In the series’s eight episodes, the Bridgerton-style ensemble cast is sure to play a large role and set up recurring characters for future seasons. Fun fact: Off Campus was filmed in and around Vancouver, mostly on the UBC campus.

Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid

Shane Hollander, the Montreal Voyagers captain, and Ilya Rozanov, the Russian captain of the Boston Bears, have heated up their rivalry with secret hookups off the ice over the years. Eventually, these hookups become something more. This book encapsulates the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance clichés in a way that keeps the reader needing to know what will happen. Though I haven’t read this series, the Goodreads reviews are glowing. 

Heated Rivalry premiered its first two episodes on Nov. 28 on Crave. With just six episodes in the season, and already an 8.7/10 average on IMDb, the story hits the ice fast and doesn’t let up on the steam. This is not a show I would watch with your parents. It won’t shy away from the smut that is rampant throughout the book, though the romance and rivalry storylines are just as important as well.


These two series are sure to fill the needs of any romance reader who has been looking for a new TV show to watch or book series to read! Off-Campus even has a spin-off series, Briar U, for any readers who are in search of something to read next.

Paige Peters

U Vic '26

Paige has been with Her Campus since September of 2022 as both a writer and editor before deciding to take on a larger role as Chapter Leader for one year. As a former Campus Correspondents at the Her Campus at UVic chapter, Paige published content, managed the executive team, oversaw retention and recruitment, and hosted meetings, now she is back to simply writing and editing, what she truly enjoys.

She has done media for a non-profit as well as collabing with local newspapers to promote the festival that the non-profit ran.

As a fourth-year writing major at UVic, Paige is minoring in journalism with a focus in creative nonfiction. She received a scholarship for a short story she wrote in 2020. She has also received various academic scholarships for her grades. She hopes to go into either publishing/editing or working for a newspaper/magazine somewhere in Europe one day, ideally in the world of Formula One.

In her free time, Paige watches and keeps up with the Formula One world. She also enjoys reading a good book, bingeing one of her favourite TV shows such as Criminal Minds, and visiting bookstores.