The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Hockey Show: Finally Talking Heated Rivalry

Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Roy Bellamy, David Drucker, Ethan, Rose
Guest: Adnan Virk (Prime Monday Night Hockey, NHL Network)

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from Downtown Miami’s Elser Hotel, Roy, David, Ethan, and Rose deliver an entertaining and passionate dive into current hockey culture, the impact of pop-culture crossovers on the sport, and both NHL and Olympic storylines. The crew finally tackles the phenomenon of "Heated Rivalry," the acclaimed drama opening new doors for hockey, and they chat with Adnan Virk about the NHL season, Olympic expectations, and more. The tone is lively, sometimes irreverent, with an emphasis on honest hot takes and unfiltered anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Heated Rivalry": The Hockey Drama Breaking Barriers

[00:53 – 08:26]

• Series Premise & Impact:

  • Ethan describes "Heated Rivalry" as "basically a fan fiction of what if Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were gay," praising it as a compelling romance set in a hockey environment.
  • “It’s a gay hockey show. That is what it is...It’s certainly something I’ve never seen before.”
    — David Drucker [02:05]
  • Ethan emphasizes its cultural impact:
    “The best thing it's done is it's opened hockey to an entire new world, and it's brought a lot of new fans into watching the NHL. And I think that's the best thing: hockey is for everybody.” [04:44]
  • David highlights the show’s real-world positive influence, noting NHL players feeling empowered to come out after watching.

• Casting Discussion:

  • The group marvels at the Russian lead played by a Texan (Connor Story as Ilya Rosenov), emphasizing acting and language skills.
    • Rose: “The guy who is Russian is not Russian.” [02:54]

• Behind-the-Scenes Media Drama:

  • David brings up [05:08] controversies arising from other hockey podcasts (Empty Nutters), with private texts bashing the show's “inclusivity.”
  • Quote from David: “He’s saying that they are pandering the gay people.” [05:57]
  • Roy and Rose criticize the lack of authenticity, emphasizing the importance of sticking to one’s truth.

• On Hockey Culture & Homophobia:

  • Ethan calls out the damage done by disingenuous voices in hockey media and reiterates the sport’s struggle with homophobia.
  • “We’ve had enough problems with this subject that we don’t need people making us…look bad by being ungenuine and being fake.” [07:20]

2. Olympics & Hockey in Pop Culture

[08:26 – 13:17]

• “Miracle”: An All-Time Hockey Movie

  • David and Ethan reminisce about the “Miracle” film and its significance, with David calling it possibly “the best hockey movie of all time.” [09:23]
  • Ethan underlines his Olympics obsession and how the Olympics elevate all sporting narratives.

• Olympic Anticipation

  • Discussion on the upcoming Winter Olympics, excitement about NHL player participation, and the authenticity that movies like Miracle bring to fans and athletes alike.

3. Florida Panthers Weekly Recap & Analysis

[13:17 – 15:18]

• Panthers' results: Suffered a blowout by the Hurricanes (9-1), a win over the Capitals (5-2), a home loss to the Sharks (4-1), and a shootout victory over the Jets (2-1).
• Matthew Tkachuk’s return: The crew discusses his performance post-injury, resilience, key assists, and overall situation amid Panthers’ injury woes.

4. Segments: Puck Luck, Stat of the Week, Rose’s “Un Minuto”

[15:12 – 19:44]

• Puck Luck (Betting Parlay, DraftKings):

  • David’s parlay: Mitch Marner over 2.5 shots, Anthony Stolarz over 25.5 saves, Brandon Hagel over 2.5 shots; odds +551. [16:28]

• Stat of the Week:

  • Focus on Quinn Hughes’ exceptional assist stats with the Wild. [16:46]

• Rose’s One-Minute Recap:

  • Animated summary of the LA Kings getting “dogged” by the Ducks; concludes with poetic flair:
    “This week, the Dogs won the Oscars.” — Rose [19:22]

5. Wins & Fails of the Week

[19:44 – 25:57]

• Win:

  • The goalie fight between Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky.
  • Ethan: “He skated 200ft for this fight, dude. I’m telling you…” [20:13]
  • The crew breaks down the surreal nature of the usually reserved Bobrovsky dropping gloves. [21:34]

• Fails:

  • A KHL own-goal (“like angels in the outfield type stuff”) [22:41]
  • A dubious tripping penalty where the ref called a trip after a player just fell. [23:24]
  • Flyers’ empty-net blunder costing a win. [24:09]
  • Rose shares a nostalgic “fail” from childhood, dressing up as a penguin—sort of. [25:07]

• U.S. Under-18 Women’s Team Shoutout:

  • Celebrating their perfect gold, never trailing or tying—a program first. [25:36]

6. Interview: Adnan Virk

[29:06 – 46:34]

• Hockey Life & “Heated Rivalry”

  • Adnan shares anecdotes from the road and family, critiques Quinn Hughes’ play, and praises the cultural crossover of “Heated Rivalry.”
  • Adnan:
    “It's become a massive sensation...people who are not hockey fans are saying they're becoming hockey fans because of Heated Rivalry.” [31:38]
  • Chimes in on the “Texan playing a Russian”—skeptical about learning Russian in “8 days,” but everyone agrees the accent's surprisingly convincing. [33:16]

• Olympic Preview

  • Adnan’s Olympic picks: Hers for Canada, sees US as top rival, calls Czechia an intriguing dark horse. [36:16]
  • “USA's goaltending, by the way—not as strong as you might think on paper… I still love USA's back end. I love Canada's forwards.”
  • The crew jokes about the “Sopranos” playing for Team Italy. [38:35]

• NHL Season & Panthers Outlook

  • Adnan discusses Florida’s playoff push, the impact of returning stars Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, and Bill Zito’s leadership. [39:46]

• NHL Mid-Season Award Predictions

  • Jack Adams: John Cooper (Lightning)
  • Norris: Cale Makar ("every time")
  • Calder: Demidov (with love for Ducks’ Beckett Senica)
  • Vezina: Ilya Sorokin
  • Hart: Still favors Connor McDavid, but names Celebrini as a dark-horse if the Sharks make playoffs

• Oscar Talk with Rose

  • Rose: “Is it the first time a Brazilian actor has been nominated?” [46:12]
  • Adnan: “I think he's got a chance ... But I do think it's going to be Timmy [Chalamet].” [46:34]

Noteworthy Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You know what it is? This is basically a fan fiction of what if Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were gay?” — Ethan on "Heated Rivalry" [03:33]
• “It's certainly something I've never seen before. … I've already heard about hockey players who are coming out of the closet because of this show, and it's empowering them to be more comfortable.” — David Drucker [02:05]
• “Hockey is for everyone, despite the NHL’s best efforts.” — Roy Bellamy [35:41]
• “The best thing it's done is it's opened hockey to an entire new world ... Hockey is for everybody.” — Ethan [04:44]
• “If you watch it and you're saying you like it and then go say something else… then I'm not going to believe anything you're saying to me. Like, you have to be like, you guys, you got to stick to your truth.” — Rose [06:48]
• “He skated 200 ft for this fight, dude… I start screaming, Bob is fighting. Bob is fighting.” — Ethan [20:13]
• “I’ve had people approach me over the last week… talking about Heated Rivalry… We’ve never spoken about sports before.” — David Drucker [35:24]
• “It’s a bad look, though. … Guest bookers would want to avoid that show.” — Roy Bellamy on podcast hypocrisy [06:39]
• “USA's goaltending …not as strong as you might think on paper... I still love USA's back end. I love Canada's forwards.” — Adnan Virk [36:16]
• “Team Italy… This looks like the Sopranos men's league team. Like, this is spectacular. I'm definitely gonna be rooting for team Italy.” — David Drucker [38:27]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Heated Rivalry breakdown: [00:53 – 08:26]
• Olympics/Miracle movie: [08:26 – 13:17]
• Panthers talk: [13:17 – 15:18]
• Betting/Stat/Minute segments: [15:12 – 19:44]
• Wins/Fails: [19:44 – 25:57]
• Adnan Virk Interview: [29:06 – 46:34]
• NHL award picks: [43:17 – 45:43]
• Oscars talk: [46:12 – 47:20]

Conclusion

This episode is equal parts irreverent hockey banter, insightful discussion of the intersection between pop culture and sport, and honest commentary on inclusivity in hockey. From "Heated Rivalry’s" cultural moment to the on-ice drama of the Panthers and the excitement of the Olympics, The Hockey Show delivers for both hardcore fans and newcomers discovering the sport through new, unexpected avenues.