A new Canadian television series is setting screens—and social media—ablaze with its combination of high-stakes hockey and a secret, steamy romance. Heated Rivalry, a Crave Original, has quickly become a buzzy pop-culture sensation since its premiere and has already been renewed for a second season.
On-Ice Foes, Off-Ice Lovers
The series follows the complex eight-year relationship between two elite NHL players: Shane Hollander, played by Vancouver-based actor Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, portrayed by American actor Connor Storrie. While their fictional teams are bitter rivals on the ice, the two athletes are entangled in a passionate and clandestine love affair away from the rink.
"I think, yeah, 'sexy hockey show' or 'horny hockey show,' I'm happy with that," said Williams, a 24-year-old originally from Kamloops. The actor, who moved to Vancouver in 2019, acknowledges the show's intimate scenes are a major draw but insists they are integral to the story. "You miss half the story if you miss the sex, because there is a conversation in every sort of nuance," he explained.
From Bestselling Novel to Streaming Hit
Heated Rivalry is a six-episode adaptation of the second book in Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid's bestselling Game Changers series, which falls within the popular M/M (Male/Male) romance genre. Creator, writer, and director Jacob Tierney has described the show as "joyfully smutty."
The show's impact was immediate. It became Crave's number one show the weekend it premiered on November 28, 2025, and has remained a top trend for the streamer. Justin Stockman, Vice-President of Content Development and Programming at Bell Media (Crave's parent company), called it a "full-blown, pop-culture moment" in a statement, praising the "honest, bold, and deeply compelling" performances of the leads.
Chemistry and Care Behind the Scenes
Williams credits the on-screen spark to immediate chemistry and a shared professional understanding with his co-star. "We knew we would have to go to these places that would make a lot of actors uncomfortable, and so we wanted to sort of be on the same page," he said of his initial meetings with Storrie.
The series, which also airs on HBO Max in the United States, traces the characters' journey from being drafted to teams in Montreal and Boston in the early 2010s through the ensuing years of their hidden relationship. By treating the romance as a genuine character study, the show is credited with refreshing the genre and showcasing its depth.
With its unique niche in the vast romance market—gay hockey romance—Heated Rivalry has tapped into a fervent online fanbase, evident across platforms like Amazon, BookTok, and Reddit. The series proves that a "love story that just happens to have hockey as a backdrop" can score a major win with audiences.
