Jesse Kortuem Hopes To Help Others After 'Heated Rivalry' Inspired Him To Come Out

A push from "Heated Rivalry" helped a real-life hockey player share his truth about his sexuality ... and now he hopes to be a source of inspiration, too.

After tuning in to the hit show about rivals-turned-lovers, Minnesota native Jesse Kortuem decided to pen his coming-out story earlier this month ... and it’s turning into a mission bigger than the sport.

We caught up with Kortuem in NYC on Wednesday to see how his message is being received.

So far? The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming.

"My goal is that this message really reaches those who need to hear it most," Kortuem said, pointing to "that kid that's struggling playing hockey right now in Fargo, or even that collegiate player who’s struggling."

He admits he never imagined his story would spark a larger conversation -- but now he's embracing the opportunity to help push the sport forward.

"If that means educating youth hockey associations and talking to players about how their language matters in the locker room and how they show up on the ice," he explains, "that’s really the mission -- to make hockey a safe sport for everyone."

At the time we talked this week, Kortuem told us he hadn’t heard from the hit show’s stars ... but that changed on Thursday, thanks to Hudson Williams making a surprise virtual appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show."

"I just wanted to say thank you for watching our show and sharing the kind words you had for it," Williams said in a prerecorded video. "It really means a lot that our show could even play a little, small part in a sort of positive thing about your life. Thank you for your bravery and just sounding like a really cool guy."