hello!! the annual ao3 year in review had some friends and i thinking - wouldn't it be cool if we had a hockey rpf specific version of that. so i went ahead and collated the data below!!
i start with a broad overview, then dive deeper into the 3 most popular ships this year (with one bonus!)
if any images appear blurry, click on them to expand and they should become clear!
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before we jump in, some key things to highlight:
- CREDIT TO: the webscraping part of my code heavily utilized the ao3 wrapped google colab code, as lovingly created by @kyucultures on twitter, as the main skeleton. i tweaked a couple of things but having it as a reference saved me a LOT of time and effort as a first time web scraper!!! thank you stranger <3
- please do NOT, under ANY circumstances, share any part of this collation on any other website. please do not screenshot or repost to twitter, tiktok, or any other public social platform. thank u!!! T_T
- but do feel free to send requests to my inbox! if you want more info on a specific ship, tag, or you have a cool idea or wanna see a correlation between two variables, reach out and i should be able to take a look. if you want to take a deeper dive into a specific trope not mentioned here/chapter count/word counts/fic tags/ship tags/ratings/etc, shoot me an ask!
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with that all said and done... let's dive into hockey_rpf_2024_wrapped_insanity.ipynb
BIG PICTURE OVERVIEW
i scraped a total of 4266 fanfics that dated themselves as published or finished in the year 2024. of these 4000 odd fanfics, the most popular ships were:
Note: "Minor or Background Relationship(s)" clocked in at #9 with 91 fics, but I removed it as it was always a secondary tag and added no information to the chart. I did not discern between primary ship and secondary ship(s) either!
breaking down the 5 most popular ships over the course of the year, we see:
super interesting to see that HUGE jump for mattdrai in june/july for the stanley cup final. the general lull in the offseason is cool to see as well.
as for the most popular tags in all 2024 hockey rpf fic...
weee like our fluff. and our established relationships. and a little H/C never hurt no one.
i got curious here about which AUs were the most popular, so i filtered down for that. note that i only regex'd for tags that specifically start with "Alternate Universe - ", so A/B/O and some other stuff won't appear here!
idk it was cool to me.
also, here's a quick breakdown of the ratings % for works this year:
and as for the word counts, i pulled up a box plot of the top 20 most popular ships to see how the fic length distribution differed amongst ships:
mattdrai-ers you have some DEDICATION omg. respect
now for the ship by ship break down!!
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#1 MATTDRAI
most popular ship this year. peaked in june/july with the scf. so what do u people like to write about?
fun fun fun. i love that the scf is tagged there like yes actually she is also a main character
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#2 SIDGENO
(my babies) top tags for this ship are:
folks, we are a/b/o fiends and we cannot lie. thank you to all the selfless authors for feeding us good a/b/o fic this year. i hope to join your ranks soon.
(also: MPREG. omega sidney crosby. alpha geno. listen, the people have spoken, and like, i am listening.)
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#3 NICOJACK
top tags!!
it seems nice and cozy over there... room for one more?
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BONUS: JDTZ.
i wasnt gonna plot this but @marcandreyuri asked me if i could take a look and the results are so compelling i must include it. are yall ok. do u need a hug
top tags being h/c, angst, angst, TRADES, pining, open endings... T_T katie said its a "torture vortex" and i must concurr
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BONUS BONUS: ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA
as an a/b/o enthusiast myself i got curious as to what the most popular ships were within that tag. if you want me to take a look about this for any other tag lmk, but for a/b/o, as expected, SID GENO ON TOP BABY!:
thats all for now!!! if you have anything else you are interested in seeing the data for, send me an ask and i'll see if i can get it to ya!
HRPF | Sid/Geno | ABO AU | 3k | Rating: E | Complete
Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Geno, Omega Sid, Porn with Feelings, Hand Jobs, Anal Sex, Mild/referenced consensual infidelity, Just two freaks who use their teammates as playthings for their own sick amusement (positive), Sid/Erik is only mentioned not depicted (see previous tag)
Summary:
Sid flirts with Karl to rile Geno up and, boy, is it working.
Companion piece to “Tonight, You’re Mine” – what Sid and Geno get up to immediately following their exit from the bar.
Read on AO3
My plot bunny had a baby, and lo, this fic was born. Preview under the cut!
Sid gasps at the cold, rough scrape of bricks at his back, so at odds with the hard wall of heat pressed to his front. Geno cages him in, shoving a thigh between Sid’s legs, which Sid instantly ruts against, eager for any kind of friction. He’s so wet already, leaking through his boxers. He wonders if he’s soaked through his pants yet and flushes at the thought. Even if he hasn’t, everyone can already smell how ready he is, for an alpha—his alpha.
Sid pants hard as Geno grabs at his chin, yanks Sid’s face to the side so Geno can run his nose up the long, bare column of Sid’s throat, his scent gland practically pulsing with heat.
“You stink,” Geno growls, the words barely intelligible through his ire. His eyes are probably flashing already with warning. Sid whines as he pictures it, a new wave of slick gushing down his thighs.
“Reek like alpha,” Geno goes on, his nose pressed to the sensitive spot behind Sid’s ear, his teeth hovering over Sid’s pulse. “Like Karl,” Geno spits. “You like it? You want him?” Geno prods, grabbing at Sid’s shoulders only to shove him back into the wall again, making Sid’s teeth rattle in his skull.
Sid gasps at the pain, the pleasure, barely managing to rasp out, “No, G.”
“No?” Geno echoes, scoffing in disbelief. “I think maybe yes—maybe you go with him now, maybe he gets you on your belly. You wet for him, Sid? You let him inside? Let him knot you?”
“No, no,” Sid insists, even as he gushes again, definitely soaking the seat of his pants. Geno’s going to have to get the car detailed again, unless—Sid swallows hard, pants with his mouth wide open—unless G takes him right here, in this alley, next to this dumpster, rats scurrying by their feet. Maybe someone will see—maybe even Karl—as he leaves to go home, sour with disappointment, maybe he’ll pass by the alley on the way to his car—maybe he’ll stop and watch them—
“You think about him,” Geno accuses, reading Sid’s mind like always. Sid flushes, burning with heat. He’s not really heating, not yet, not for another week at least. But Sid almost feels it, now, wild and achy, thrashing under the heavy press of Geno’s giant hands pinning him to the wall.
“He thinks about you,” Geno mutters lowly, even as he shoves one of those hands into the hot space between them. Before Sid can blink, Geno’s got Sid’s fly open, and then G’s fingers are just there, between Sid’s legs, cupping Sid’s dripping cock through his boxers.
Sid keens, thrusting into the heat of Geno’s palm as his alpha grips too tight to even feel good—it hurts, but Sid needs it, he needs it, needs more.
“He thinks about fuck you,” Geno growls in Sid’s ear. “He stinks, too, when you’re with him.”
Sid knows; he smells it, too, of course he does—the desire wafting off of Karl like steam when Sid curls into his side, when Sid laughs and smiles so sweetly into Karl’s face, just the way alphas like.
“But where’s he now,” Geno mocks, as he starts to tug at Sid’s cock, still through the thin fabric of Sid’s underwear. Sid’s cock isn’t much to speak of—he’s average for an omega, but it still means Geno can stroke him with just a few fingers. When he uses his whole palm, like he is now, it’s almost too much.
Sid thoughts spiral and sputter out until he’s nothing but slick and heat and ripe-omega scent, curling in the air like a thousand cherry blossoms blooming at once.
“He can’t have you,” Geno growls, his mouth right over Sid’s gland now, his lips grazing it with every word. Sid keens, pressing into that touch, every thought, every beat of his heart, only please, please, please.
“I have you,” Geno rasps before he sucks at Sid’s scent glad, hard and wet, his saliva dripping down Sid’s neck, marking Sid with his scent, too.
Sid’s so fucking close, just from that, he just needs—he just needs—
Geno’s hand vanishes in a gust of cold air, and seconds later, the sound of Sid’s fly zipping back up echoes far louder than it should, over the racket of Sid’s pulse in his ears.
“No,” Sid nearly wails, desperate tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. “Please, G, please.”
Geno doesn’t say a word, just expertly re-buckles Sid’s belt to the right loop. Geno tugs off his own hoodie and wraps it around Sid’s waist for good measure, tightening the sleeves around Sid’s middle with a hard, twisting knot.
“Go,” Geno orders when he’s done, shoving Sid toward the mouth of the alley, a few feet away.
SLURP16 SIDGENO amnesia au... sid wakes up in the hospital unaware of pretty much everything. posted chapter one let me know your thoughts and pleaseeee enjoy!!!!
Rating: M
Pairing: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Formula One
Chapters: 1/15
Summary: The gap between heroics and stupidity could be crossed in whichever way it may go and he tries to steer clear of stupidity as best as he can.
Sidney Crosby believed that if he raced clean, fair, and respectful, it would be reciprocated despite the desperation on getting the same piece of tarmac. So far, it worked well in his 11 year Formula 1 career, having been involved in crashes that could be counted with fingers.
But on the 19th lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, that all changed when the silver Mercedes of Evgeni Malkin went straight to his diffuser as he was exiting a corner following a safety car. His neck felt the sudden jolt of that impact and to his utter surprise, the Mercedes banged wheels with his Ferrari.
chapter one can be read here
the prequel can be read here
the amazing @movetonet gave me this request from this set of prompts and i'd love to give it a go 💛
i hope you guys enjoy this. 🫡
this is set on a sidgeno f1 au i am currently writing right now. you may consider this as a prologue of some sorts. (ofc the person who is writing a sewis hockey au writes a sidgeno f1 au)
this hasn't been beta read but here we go lol
From all the years Zhenya has raced with Sid, he learned that the Canadian Ferrari Driver is up to no good whenever he looks smug with a little bounce in his step. To the rest of the world, he looks normal. Sid won the previous race in Barcelona, and it might be interpreted as the confidence of the latest race winner walking with confidence. But Zhenya knows it’s more than that, he’d been on the receiving end of pranks especially one of Sid’s long time engineer, Marc-André Fleury that got botched because Sid cannot keep a poker face, much to the engineer’s annoyance to pull that prank off.
On the Thursday of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, despite a highly curated and planned out schedule, Sidney Crosby had been waiting for his entrance on the paddock. He knows something’s up. “Good morning, G.” He greets, way too enthusiastic for his own good.
He sighs, “Is Flower going to prank?” Zhenya just had to ask.
“No, no,” Sid denies, smiling. “I want to show you something.” Sid grabs Zhenya’s arm and drags him through the paddock despite the questioning looks of the nosy personalities in Formula 1. He’s aware of the shutters of cameras flicking and he’s sure that he’d see this on social media being talked about.
Zhenya wanted to stop walking when he noticed where he’s getting dragged to. “Sid,” he protests but the other driver is ignoring him. “Why are you dragging me to hospitality? It’s Ferrari!” Sid finally paused, thought for a second, and shrugged.
The optics of what Sid is doing is bad. Especially when he’s in the middle of his contract extension talks with Mercedes. One foot in the Ferrari hospitality can spark ten rumours. He can see the headlines getting written and the PR team coming after him to wring his neck. Sid ignores his protests and drags him in the Ferrari hospitality anyway. He can feel the intense glares of the people in this team, making him plan to get involved in the social media content for Mercedes as reparations for whatever the hell is going on right now.
The only two people in the sea of red that aren’t raising a brow at Zhenya’s presence are Sid’s French Canadian engineers, Flower and Tanger, who are snickering behind their espresso shots as him and Sid pass by them, Zhenya now realises, to go to Sid’s driver room. The paddock will be talking now, for sure.
“What are we doing here?” He asks Sid when he closes the door. Sid’s teammate isn’t in yet judging by the quiet and turned off light in the nearby driver room from the glimpse he had.
“I need to show you what I got.” Sid finally tells him, reaching for a paper bag and hands it to him. “It’s for you, but I have to show it first, of course.” Zhenya takes the bag from Sid, just in time for Flower and Tanger to enter Sid’s room.
“This is gonna be good,” Tanger snickers, anticipating Zhenya's reaction.
Zhenya opens the bag and there was no way he could’ve stopped the high pitched “No!” that escaped him.
He pulls out the bright red Canadian National Hockey Team jersey, scowling at the Canadians who are laughing at his expense. “Come on, try it on.” Sid urges, too smug for his own good. The French Canadian engineers now have their phones on their hands. The flash being on from Flower’s phone hides nothing of what they’re doing right now.
Zhenya finally remembers he lost a bet.
While watching the ice hockey world championship game that sent Canada to a near guaranteed medal paying position in a bar near the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya, Sid proposed a bet to Zhenya. “If Canada finishes higher than Russia, you will wear a Canadian jersey while arriving at the paddock, and if Russia finishes better than Canada, I’ll wear a Russian jersey.” Tanger and Flower were there to bear witness to when Sid and Zhenya shook hands in agreement to the deal. Zhenya foolishly says, “I’m not buying Canada jersey because Russia best.” Sid laughed as he replied, “I’ll buy you your Team Canada jersey.”
A few days later, Canada beat Russia in the semi-finals.
Zhenya totally forgot about the bet.
“Come on Geno, you’ll look great in red.” Sid urges Geno again.
“This is blasphemy.” Zhenya grumbles but wears the jersey anyway. Tanger calls on someone in Italian and asks if they can take a photo with Zhenya in the jersey. He didn’t catch any of that but the fact that Tanger and Flower’s phones were handed a mere few seconds later says everything. When the three Canadians had settled beside him, Sid instructed them to say, “Say Canada best!” And all three of them yell as he scowls at the camera, flipped off in some photos as they do it a few more times. Zhenya feels grossed out wearing a Canadian jersey and removes it as soon as they’re done taking photos. He wants nothing more but to sprint to the Mercedes hospitality and get to his driver room for a quick shower and rinse off the feeling of wearing this goddamned jersey.
“You’ll have to wear that tomorrow before free practice,” Sid tells him as he shoves back the jersey in the bag. “You need to walk the entire paddock wearing it too.”
Flower shakes his shoulders which was supposed to be mockingly comforting, “Don’t worry, Tanger and I will post our photos tomorrow, we’ll make sure to tag you.”
His phone buzzes and checks a message that he needs to drop by the team principal to explain what he’s doing in Ferrari. “I need to go, you got me in trouble,” He says. “Mercedes think I negotiate contract with Ferrari already.”
Sidney realises why he tried to stop going in Ferrari's domain. “Oh Geno, I’m so sorry." he offers.
“I’ll tell them Canadians gave me worst gift ever.” Zhenya said before Sid apologised again before he left.
When he got to the Mercedes hospitality, he got immediately cornered by the PR and Communications team with their team principal. Zhenya explains the bet he made in Barcelona, and what Flower and Tanger plan to post, which earned him an exasperated sigh from the team. When journalists inevitably asked him about it in the press conference, Zhenya answered, “No talks with Ferrari but you’ll see why I was there."
Later when Zhenya comes home, he rummages through his closet and finds a Russian hockey jersey that he plans to wear underneath the Canadian jersey. He didn’t care about how terrible it would be to wear two hockey jerseys under the Monegasque sun as long as the Canadian jersey doesn’t touch his skin.
Zhenya enters the paddock wearing the Team Canada hockey jersey Sid provided for him, he has no regrets melting under two hockey jerseys. When the shutter of the cameras goes off as he steps in the Monaco harbour, he raises the jersey to reveal the Russian jersey he’s been wearing underneath.
Sid finds him later in the driver meeting, shoulder checks him when he sits next to him. “You fucking cheat.” He accuses, showing a photo of his arrival revealing the Russian jersey under the Canadian one. Zhenya shrugs as Sid jokingly hits his arm.
A few weeks later, in the streets of Baku, Zhenya accuses Sidney of brake testing.
