Heated Rivalry is a Canadian sportsromance television series created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave, and is based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novel series. It follows two rival professional hockey players, Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose on-ice animosity conceals a passionate, secret romance.
The series premiered in Canada on November 28, 2025, on Crave, and simultaneously in selected regions across multiple platforms, including HBO Max in the United States and Australia.[1]
Synopsis
Superstar hockey phenoms Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two athletes whose explosive on-ice feud becomes a media spectacle even as they secretly fall into a passionate, years-long relationship that neither can risk making public. As their careers propel them to fame, championships, and constant scrutiny, the pair navigate the intense push-and-pull between competition and connection, battling the pressures of the league, the expectations of their teams, and the fear of being outed in a sport that prides itself on toughness and silence.
In December 2008, young hockey players Shane Hollander of Canada and Ilya Rozanov of Russia meet before the International Prospect Cup final. Russia wins, and six months later, at the Major League Hockey draft, Ilya is picked first by the Boston Raiders and Shane second by the Montreal Metros. After, the pair have a chance meeting in the hotel gym. Canada beats Russia at the following year's Prospect Cup final. Six months later, after filming a commercial together, Shane and Ilya become aroused while showering side-by-side, leading them to meet clandestinely at a hotel and have oral sex. The MLH stokes a perceived rivalry between them during their rookie season, including at an All-Star game in February 2011, where Ilya tells Shane his hotel room number. They meet after, have oral sex, and exchange numbers. Plans to have anal sex in Montreal fall through when their game there is cancelled. Four months later, Shane wins Rookie of the Year at the MLH Awards. At the afterparty, the pair argue on a balcony about Ilya being a sore loser. Ilya pulls Shane into a kiss, but Shane fears they will be seen and leaves.
2
"Olympians"
Jacob Tierney
Jacob Tierney
November28,2025(2025-11-28)
Shane and Ilya begin sexting over the course of two years, including before their game in fall 2013, after which they meet at Shane's apartment and finally have anal sex. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, Ilya ignores Shane's texts after his Russian hockey team performs poorly. Following a discussion with his friends Scott Hunter and Carter Vaughn where the latter commends the bravery of presumably gay figure skaters performing in conservative Russia, Shane meets Ilya and tries to console him, but Ilya acts cold. Later, Ilya's father's memory issues become apparent. At a gala, Ilya's friend and occasional fling Svetlana saves him from speaking with his father and Svetlana's Russian minister father. She leaves Ilya alone with his past sexual partner Sasha, but Ilya rejects Sasha's proposition to hook up. As Ilya continues to ignore Shane, Ilya's team goes on to win the league championship. In the summer of 2014, while backstage at the Major League Hockey awards after presenting, Shane expresses frustration with Ilya. Ilya proposes a meeting that night, during which the two have largely unsentimental sex. Afterward, Ilya shuts down Shane's question about his comfort in Russia. Shane leaves, dejected.
3
"Hunter"
Jacob Tierney
Jacob Tierney
December5,2025(2025-12-05)
Four months before the 2014 Winter Olympics, hockey golden boy Scott Hunter stops into a smoothie shop and orders a smoothie recommended by an employee named Kip. That night, Scott finally breaks a losing streak. Driven by superstition, Scott returns to the smoothie shop before each home game and orders the same thing while subtly flirting with Kip, including inviting him to a game. While playing away, Scott loses games against the Raiders and the Metros. After the latter, Shane and Scott brawl when Scott compares him to Ilya. At a fundraiser where Kip serves food, Scott asks Kip back to his house. They have sex, after which Scott asks Kip to move in with him. After two months together, at a gala, Kip's friend Elena warns him that Scott being closeted is demoralizing Kip, and Scott speaks about being orphaned at age 12 and finding family in hockey. After Scott declines to join a hangout at a gay bar for Kip's birthday, Kip, missing his father, leaves Scott's apartment and goes home, where he breaks down crying. Scott watches from outside as Kip celebrates his birthday and admission to graduate school with his friends.
4
"Rose"
TBA
TBA
December12,2025(2025-12-12)
5
"I'll Believe in Anything"
TBA
TBA
December19,2025(2025-12-19)
6
"The Cottage"
TBA
TBA
December26,2025(2025-12-26)
Production
Development
Heated Rivalry is based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid.[3]Jacob Tierney first reached out to Reid in 2023 to discuss the possibility of adapting the books to a limited television series.[4] In January 2025 it was first revealed that the series was in development for Crave.[5] This was confirmed by Reid on her blog.[4] In June 2025, it was officially announced at the Bell Media Upfront that the series would be streamed on Crave. Tierney created, wrote, and directed the series. He also serves as an executive producer alongside Brendan Brady through their production banner Accent Aigu Entertainment.[6] Lori Fischburg is a producer of the series, and Reid is a consulting producer.[3]
Williams was the third actor Storrie had a chemistry read with, while Williams read with one other possible actor. When Tierney asked Storrie about his impression, he suggested Williams. Similarly, Williams felt an "inexplicable X-factor" about Storrie, telling Tierney: "The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me."[7]
Arnaud received a call from Tierney personally, asking him if he had received the script yet and telling him: "I didn't write this for you, but I cannot hear anyone else's voice in my head when I read it." Arnaud was surprised, perceiving the script as soft pornography, but changed his mind after understanding how the sex scenes are used to drive the story forward.[8]
The series debuted on Crave with a two-episode premiere on November 28, 2025, followed by weekly episodes, with the finale airing on December 26.[3] In advance of the program's television premiere, the first episode received a preview screening at the 2025 Image+Nation festival on November 23, 2025.[9] The series was released by HBO Max in the United States and Australia, Sky in New Zealand, and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.[3]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Heated Rivalry holds an approval rating of 88% based on eight critic reviews.[10]Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
David Caballero of Collider gave the series an 8 out of 10, noting Williams and Storrie's chemistry, the effective early development of their characters both individually and as a potential couple, and the prominent yet accessible use of hockey in the story.[12]
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