Khabra, leaving the panel, asked how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it felt as if the genre had “escaped out of control”, such as when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reed described the mystery surrounding hockey, saying, “What [the players] It feels impossible to do.” Archer also said that the game itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and that it is fun to play, especially in Canada, with celebrities surrounding the players.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why it is so popular in publishing is racism.” She further noted that the voices of straight, white women have dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of the league’s players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25–27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
Mashable Top Stories
While delving into the genre, the authors also talked about the writing process. They delve into the darker aspects of their work, even the dirt. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reed’s Saturday panel, where he described using sex scenes to further an emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can leave out this spice, Archer says of her books, “No, you can’t leave out sex scenes. You’re missing out on a lot of your character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel also turned to the future. Many authors write BIPOC and queer representation in their novels, in a genre that often focuses on whiteness and queerness. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reed notes that progress is being made toward the future these writers and their readers want to see, and he said the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make it happen.”
With the number of hockey fans at an all-time high, there is a whole team behind these writers that is ready to make a change.
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