Hockey player Jesse Kortuem has come out as gay, crediting HBO Max’s hit show “Heated Rivalry” — about the love story between a pair of rival hockey stars who remain in the closet — for giving him the courage to do so.

The self-described “private person” shared in social media posts Wednesday that while he long felt he “had to hide” on the ice, he’s felt a shift recently.

“Those who know me best know that I don’t share much if anything publicly on social media, but lately, something has sparked in me (ok — yes credited to #HeatedRivalry). I realized it is finally time to share a journey I have kept close to the vest for a long time,” wrote Kortuem, nodding to the series, which has made a viral splash since it debuted.

Kortuem also tagged the series — starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, and based on Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name — in an Instagram post, where he directed people to his full statement.

“For a long time … the rink did not feel like a place where I could be all of me. I felt I had to hide parts of myself for far too long,” he wrote on Facebook. “I lived in a constant state of dichotomy. I loved the game, but I lived with a persistent fear. I wondered how I could be gay and still play such a tough and masculine sport.”

Kortuem ultimately “walked away” from his high school team, but returned to playing as an adult and, with the help of 2017’s “gay hockey tournament” known as Sin City Classic, “reached a breaking point.”

“This past weekend at Sun Peaks was so much more than just a few hockey games. Standing on that ice, I realized I have finally found my peace. … I thought I would share because I want to speak to the athletes out there who are still in the closet or struggling to find their way,” wrote Kortuem. “You will get through this, and it is going to be OK.”

In December, GQ crowned “Heated Rivalry” not just “a boldly smutty gay romance” but “2025’s biggest surprise hit.”

Per Luminate, the six-episode series was viewed over 254 million minutes the week of Jan. 2.

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