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Tag: Gritty

  • Commissioner Gary Bettman explains NHL’s foray into the hockey romance space: ‘The data is overwhelming’

    Commissioner Gary Bettman explains NHL’s foray into the hockey romance space: ‘The data is overwhelming’

    The Summer He Turned Gritty?

    After the massive success of hockey romance series Off Campus and Heated Rivalry, and the overall prominence of “hockey romance” as a book genre, the NHL is trying to convert that growing young audience into fans through the “Hot for Hockey” campaign.

    “The data is overwhelming,” commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday from Xfinity Mobile Arena, that a large number of the NHL’s newest fans started watching the league after discovering the sport through one of those two television shows.

    “The hockey romance genre is extraordinarily popular,” Bettman said. “It’s not necessarily everybody’s taste. Not all of it is suitable for every audience or every age group, but for the people who are connecting to it? They’re also connecting to hockey.”

    Flyers Q&A: GM Danny Brière on facing increased expectations, Matvei Michkov, and LeBron James

    In January, StubHub reported a 40% increase in interest in NHL tickets following the release of Heated Rivalry. The first season of Prime Video’s series Off Campus released on May 13, but immediately became one of the streamer’s biggest hits, having the third-best debut in platform history. San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini did a joint interview with Off Campus star Belmont Cameli as part of a Hollywood Reporter series that also featured Sixers star Jaylen Brown and Mahershala Ali.

    Sean Eggert, the NHL’s new Chief Marketing Officer, told Sports Business Journal that hockey romance is by far the largest segment of the booming sports romance genre.

    So, as part of the NHL’s new campaign to draw in more of those fans, the league released a series of romance-inspired audio series, including one “starring” Trevor Zegras, The Summer I Turned Gritty. The goal of the campaign is to present real-life NHL story lines in the style of romance novels, written by popular hockey romance authors.

    The popularity of romance hockey shows like “Off Campus” has the NHL wading into new territory.Liane Hentscher

    Zegras’ voice isn’t actually featured in the audio — at least not in the first installment released on Spotify. Bettman said he listened to all of them — in addition to binging both Off Campus and Heated Rivalry.

    The first editions earned a fair bit of ridicule from fans across the spectrum, both older established fans and from the exact fans who might be the target audience for this kind of content.

    Spotify doesn’t publicize listener statistics for audiobooks, so it’s unclear how well these stories are actually performing on the platform. The Summer I Turned Gritty earned a 2.6-star rating from 16 reviewers as of Wednesday night.

    In 2023, the Seattle Kraken attempted to lean into the BookTok audience, inviting popular creators known for reading and reviewing hockey romance to games and engaging with their content on TikTok. The team ran into trouble when some of those creators began to sexually harass center Alexander Wennberg, in ways his wife Felicia said were “predatory and exploitative.”

    Despite the mixed success of the NHL’s attempts to engage romance readers and watchers, Bettman said the league’s efforts to reach that new audience will continue.

    The Flyers and their fans have craved a star in the mold of the Tkachuk bros. They look to have one in Porter Martone.

    “We’re going to do a variety of things to continue to market and promote the game,” Bettman said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had more fans. Our buildings are sold out. We set another record last season. Our ratings were up dramatically.

    “We’re looking to encourage people who might not be focused on hockey to take a look because we believe once they take a look, they’re going to like what they see and they’re going to keep coming back.”

  • Wawa’s new Phanatic smoothie tastes like a ‘World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears’

    Wawa’s new Phanatic smoothie tastes like a ‘World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears’

    As Philly guys go, the Phanatic is one suave dude. His gyrating belly, chameleonlike tongue, and ability to burn our opponents without uttering a single word have charmed generations of Philadelphians.

    Now, this smoothie operator has a smoothie all his own and it tastes like the tears of our rivals — sweet, salty, and delicious.

    Kim Rodriguez, Wawa manager, along with the Wawa mascot Wally Goose and the Phillie Phanatic in Philadelphia on Aug. 17, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Wawa debuted its new, limited-edition Phanatic Caramel Curveball Cream Smoothie during an event at the chain’s Penrose Avenue store Monday that was part news conference, part pep rally, and perfectly preposterous.

    Fans packed the store — for what, they weren’t exactly sure — they just knew it would be a chance to “hang with the Phillie Phanatic and Wally Goose,” according to Wawa’s Facebook page for the event.

    The two-birds-one-store offer was enough to bring out a flock of more than 75 people dressed in Phillies, Phanatic, and Wawa gear, including sisters Elizabeth and Jennifer Bertolet of Doylestown. They arrived 90 minutes before the event and decided that whatever was about to happen, it was “going to be awesome.”

    “Wally is going to be here and the Phanatic is going to be here. Why wouldn’t we be here?” Elizabeth Bertolet said.

    Maggie McNulty, who is dressed as Wally Goose, and her father, Glenn McNulty, attend an event at Wawa’s Penrose Avenue store celebrating the partnership between the Phillies and Wawa. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Justin Tichy, chief operations officer for Wawa, announced during his remarks that the smoothie is part of a new partnership between Philly’s hometown baseball team and its hometown convenience store.

    Fans at Friday’s Phillies’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals will receive a Wawa Kyle Schwarber bobblehead, samples of the Phanatic smoothie, and a chance to see Wally Goose throw out the first ceremonial pitch.

    When asked how he’s feeling about taking the mound, Wally shuddered with nervous energy then practiced his pitching wing.

    She Willians, of Job Corps culinary, and the Wawa mascot Wally Goose at Wawa’s Penrose Avenue store Monday. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Perhaps he’ll throw a curveball like Wawa did by not making its Phanatic smoothie green. A source said it’s because the Phanatic is unlikely to put anything green in his smoothie, which 100% tracks. You don’t get that bouncy belly by drinking kale.

    When asked what he thought about the new drink bearing his name, the Phanatic raised his arms overhead then circled his belly around in approval.

    The smoothie is made with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, salted caramel syrup, and sea salt pretzel pieces. It comes in a limited-edition cup featuring the Phanatic’s eyes and the tip of his snout and it only comes in one size — phanatically large — clocking in at 970 calories.

    The new Phanatic smoothie

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    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) August 17, 2026 at 1:39 PM

    Zack Sminkey of Woodstown, N.J., who wore a matching red shirt-and-shorts combo featuring repeating patterns of the Phanatic, brought his 7-year-old daughter Zoe to the event. Both approved of the new smoothie in the big green guy’s honor.

    “It’s really good. It’s very ballpark-tasting,” Sminkey said. “I almost feel like it tastes like Cracker Jacks. It’s delicious.”

    Jennifer Bertolet described it another way as she and her sister toasted their free samples of smoothie.

    “It tastes like World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears,” she said.

    Phillies ambassador Scott Palmer with a tray of new Wawa limited-edition Phanatic Caramel Curveball Cream Smoothies.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    When Wawa released a limited-edition Gritty Smoothie in the spring in honor of Philly’s prince of chaos, it was only a matter of time before the OG mascot king got one of his own, too.

    The partnership between Wawa and the Phillies solidified Wawa as the team’s official hoagie in June. Wawa hoagies now come wrapped in Phillies-themed paper, and the chain is selling red-and-white striped Phillies doughnuts and Phillies-themed kids meals, which come with stickers of the Phanatic and Wally Goose. A portion of the proceeds from the kids meals go to Philabundance.

    In turn, Wawa has an increased presence at Citizens Bank Park with new advertising and ballpark activations.

    Wally Goose and the Phillie Phanatic represent Wawa and the Phillies at a news conference on Monday about their recently-announced partnership. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    But the Phillies and Wawa were in a situationship long before they made things official this summer. Whenever the Phillies make the playoffs, Wawa brings back its Kyle Schwarber-themed Schwarberfest, a Hoagiefest spinoff featuring discounted hoagies. And in 2024, Bryce Harper was fined by MLB for showing his love for the chain by wearing custom-made Wawa cleats and a headband during a game.

    The Phillies and Wawa collaborations, including the Phanatic smoothie, will be available at stores in the region through Sept. 28.

    No word on if the offers will be extended in the event of a Red October.

    Today while interviewing a woman inside of a Wawa whose baby was dressed like Wally Goose, I was surprise-attacked from behind by the Phanatic, who put me inside of his shirt.

    That is a sentence only a Philly journalist could write – and believe and live through.

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    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) August 17, 2026 at 1:26 PM