Story by(Photo credit: Facebook/)Alyssa RayThu, January 15, 2026 at 5:22 AM UTC·3 min readHockey player Jesse Kortuem, who played as a defenseman and center in several leagues before walking away from the sport, has publicly come out as gay, crediting “Heated Rivalry” as partially inspiring his statement. The athlete took to Facebook on Tuesday, where he opened up about embracing his sexuality after hiding it for years amid his athletic pursuits. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“In hockey, there is nothing like hitting the ice after the Zamboni leaves behind a fresh, smooth sheet of ice,” Kortuem wrote on social media. “For many hockey players, the sound of skates carving on that fresh ice is just a normal part of warm-ups before a game or practice. But for me, it is the sound of a place where I felt I had to hide.”As Kortuem continued, he noted that he has since returned to hockey via The Cutting Edges Hockey Club, who he thanked for hosting him at their Winter Classic in Sun Peaks, BC — where he notably wore a jersey that represented both his sport and his community.“It felt like a bridge being built over a gap I had lived with for decades,” he added.
