Heated Rivalry: Why isn’t UK ice hockey a bigger deal?

Ice hockey has been slingshotted into mainstream UK culture thanks to Heated Rivalry – the breakout hit TV show focused on the sport.

The series, based on author Rachel Reid’s books, follows two rival players who fall for each other off the ice, sparking a forbidden love affair.

It arrived in the UK this month after gaining legions of fans in the US and Canada late last year, where the sport is already popular.

Big TV shows and pop culture moments can raise the profiles of sports and hobbies, encouraging viewers to get involved.

Stranger Things is credited with boosting interest in Dungeons and Dragons, and shows such as Game of Thrones have drawn tourists to the real-life locations where they were filmed.

But those in charge of ice hockey in the UK say there are barriers for new people wanting to try their hand at the sport.

Interest in ice hockey in the UK has been growing, with record numbers of spectators at top-level games.

The interest in the sport was already “healthy” before Heated Rivalry came along, as perHenry Staelens, chief executive of Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey.

“It’s grown to be one of the biggest professional sports in this country,” he tells The MediaNewsbeat.

“But it’s been run like an amateur sports club for a long time because of funding issues.”

There are waiting lists to join teams, Henry says, but clubs aren’t easily able to accommodate the demand.

“The biggest issuewe have is lack of facilities and lack of ice,” he says.

“People try the sport, then they want to join a team or get some ice time – and there’s just not enough ice time.”

He says there are roughly 60 rinks in the country, but there are already about 14,000 registered players and he can see this growing by 10% year-on-year if more facilities were added.

Henry says ice rinks are “insanely expensive” to run due to the cost of energy required to keep them cold.

“We k currentlythat some ice rinks will favour more public skating sessions because they make more fundsfrom public skating,” he says.

Henry estimates the cost for a single rink at about £40,000 a month, and says hosting ice hockey teams alone would unlikely cover the cost.

GB ice hockey women’s captain Jodie Alderson-Smith, 31, plays for West Midlands team Solihull Vixens.

She agrees a lack of ice time is the biggest challenge they face, even though her team is in a relatively privileged position.

Because they have a sponsor who helps with funding, she says, it means they get longer than other teams for breaks and warm-ups at match time.

Jodie tells Newsbeat ice hockey is a “very inclusive” sport, which might explain why it’s grown in popularity with women.

“We’re hoping to get more people into the games, but currently it’s it’s very much family and friends,” she says.

Her Vixens teammate Tahlia Davidson-Wright, 18, says she hopes that Heated Rivalry’s popularity will help to draw bigger crowds.

“Hopefully we’ll have a bit more engagement,” she says.

“Bigger crowds boost the whole atmosphere for the team.

“It’s really special being able to play in front of loads of people.”

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.