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Hockey Player Jesse Kortuem Comes Out as Gay, Credits 'Heated Rivalry' for Inspiration
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Jesse Kortuem, a former ice hockey player from Minnesota, publicly came out as gay on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, through a detailed Facebook post sharing his personal journey in the sport. Kortuem, who played as a defenseman and center in various leagues but not in the National Hockey League, described growing up as the youngest of four boys in a sports-focused environment where he felt pressure to hide his identity.
In his post, Kortuem reflected on his teenage years, stating, “As a young teenager, I carried a weight that did not seem to fit into that world, and 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. ” He noted a lack of positive representation for gay athletes in media during the 2000s, which led him to leave his high school team to avoid what he called a “social disaster. ”
As an adult playing in New York and Atlanta, Kortuem was out to close friends and family but remained closeted to teammates, explaining, “I spent every week in a locker room with guys I respected, yet I still did not feel safe enough to tell them who I truly was. ” A pivotal moment came in 2017 when he attended the Sin City Classic, an annual gay hockey tournament in Las Vegas, where he met other gay players and experienced what he described as a “paradigm shift. ”
Kortuem explicitly credited the recent TV series "Heated Rivalry"—a drama about two closeted gay and bisexual professional hockey players, based on Rachel Reid’s "Game Changers" novel series—for inspiring his public coming out. “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 , ” he wrote. In an interview with Out. com, he elaborated, “I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by "Heated Rivalry"'s success. Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport. ”
He also expressed gratitude to The Cutting Edges, a Vancouver-based 2SLGBTQIA+ hockey association, after recently spending a weekend with them. “Wearing your jersey that represents both my sport and my community, felt like a bridge being built over a gap I had lived with for decades, ” Kortuem stated, adding that it reminded him “there is room for all of us on the ice. ” The post has garnered positive responses, including comments from past and high school teammates, with Kortuem noting, “I'm beyond grateful for all the positive comments I've received from past teammates and high school teammates. ”
Kortuem concluded his statement with a message of hope for other closeted athletes: “I want you to know that there is hope and you’re not alone. There is a life and a deep happiness waiting for you on your path. You will get through this, and it is going to be okay. ” "Heated Rivalry", starring Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, has resonated widely in sports communities beyond hockey, with actors noting outreach from athletes in football and basketball. The series, which aired its season one finale last month on Crave and HBO Max, has been renewed for a second season and recently premiered in the UK on Sky.
Kortuem's story underscores growing visibility for gay athletes in hockey, a sport long associated with traditional masculinity, and highlights the role of media representation in empowering LGBTQ+ individuals to live authentically.
