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Safe Space Violations.

A review of “Summer Skate: A Novel” by Sean Avery & Leslie Cohen

The romance book and tv series “Heated Rivalry” has done two things that no one ever thought possible: it made gay romance wildly accessible, and it made Canada interesting. Two things we could only have dreamed of. But it isn’t the only hockey romance out there. This week’s book is “Summer Skate: A Novel”, by Sean Avery and Leslie Cohen. Why, I hear you asking, should you care about this book, is the PSBC just riding the wave of Heated Rivalry’s popularity?

Well sure, but this book is such a pile of shit that we can’t ignore it. Mainly because of who wrote it: hockey’s most reviled player, Sean Avery.

And who is Sean Avery? Well, he’s one of the world’s most hated athletes, not just in hockey but in any sport. Avery is an asshole, but not in a fun way. He isn’t a heel like the Iron Sheikh in wrestling, or that guy on Survivor who lied about his grandmother dying. Or someone more recent that the kids have heard about. I dunno, The Joker? Roman Reigns? Someone with rizz, whatever that is.

Sean Avery isn’t a guy you root for, but he also isn’t a guy you enjoy rooting against. He’s someone that just makes you dislike humanity in general. Avery is famous for many things. He was accused of domestic assault, of bullying hockey fans in the streets, of injuring competitors, and just generally being a bad person. But perhaps most of all, he’s famous for something often called the Avery Rule. During a playoff game in 2008, Avery decided he was going to ignore the game and just stand in front of the opponent’s goalie, blocking his vision with his hands and stick. It wasn’t technically against the rules, but it was such a universally reviled dick move that the Avery Rule was implemented so that this could never be done again.

The goalie is meant to have a crease, which is his safe space. You’re not supposed to go in it. Otherwise, the sport can’t function. And that’s what romance is for many people. It’s a safe space, of love and lust, where boundaries can be pushed consensually and sensualities can be explored in unison. With this romance book, Sean Avery is here to force his way into your crease and push on you one of the worst (and grossest) romance books you’ve ever read. You’ll hate the characters. You’ll root against them. You’ll find the sex scenes disturbing. But not in a fun way. In an achingly painful way that we need to talk about.

 “Heated Rivalry” may set your loins ablaze, but “Summer Skate is a dumpster fire that’s too bad not to discuss. Join us this week as we pick apart hockey’s most infamous ice-hole, and the worst romance book you’ve ever cum across.