"Heated Rivalry" is a crowd-pleasing romance drama series elevated by its queer themes. With hockey in its backdrop and two striking young men at its central focus, the show has become a viral and critical success.
The series, streaming on Crave and HBO Max, is about Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, two professional rival hockey players who develop a secret, intimate relationship over the course of their hockey careers. It is based on Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" book series.
There are a couple of factors why "Heated Rivalry" has become a breakout hit. The show has been advertised as sexy (it is), some even (unfairly) calling it smut, but what really makes the show work is the insane chemistry between Connor Storrie, who plays Ilya, and Hudson Williams, who plays Shane.
The hardened, but at times playful, persona of Storrie's Ilya meshes well with the vulnerability of Williams’ Shane. Both actors have done a tremendous job at portraying lovers who are trapped in a forbidden romance. Storrie and Williams appear to understand and convey the struggles that come with being gay while in the closet.
The show depicts the closeted experience in a sincere manner, and this is where the pathos of the story lies: The fear, the stress, and the yearning make tuning in such a deeply felt experience. We, the viewers, ache with Ilya and Shane whenever we see them long for each other but choose to conceal their romantic feelings in fear of social discrimination and the possibility of their careers being ruined, given that men’s sports culture can be generally unwelcoming to LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Ilya and Shane’s heartfelt emotional journeys are what viewers can come to find at the show’s core and realize that it's much more than the steamy gay show that it was initially advertised as. Jacob Tierney, the show's creator, writer, and director, has managed to make the struggles that come with being in the closet feel real and nuanced. We meet these characters embracing and fearing queer joy behind closed doors, which is unfortunately an all-too familiar territory for many queer individuals who are struggling with coming out.
Perhaps, what also draws viewers in, regardless of their SOGIE (straight women appear to be the loudest advocates of the show), is its peak romantic storytelling. In telling the romantic story of its queer characters, the series uses a tried-and-tested mainstream romance formula: Cute boy meets another cute boy, they resist and bicker, but their attraction grows, and they face challenges that they need to conquer to achieve a happy ending.
While a happy ending will remain a question mark for now, with “Heated Rivalry” getting picked up for a second season, the tone of the show suggests that it will follow the same romance formula. It should be noted, however, that the show has managed to use this formula without coming off rigidly confined to a template, which is largely due to the inherently subversive nature of the show’s queer narrative.
The show is a delightful addition to the popular but limited queer stories in entertainment media, which, for the most part, have not been gracious to its queer characters. It's great that LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as allies, can have a lighthearted option in their watch list, in addition to more serious queer stories in acclaimed dramas like "Brokeback Mountain," which is not to be dismissed at all, as such stories speak important realities that people need to be informed about.
Capping off the first season with only six episodes, "Heated Rivalry" has done an excellent job at getting people to tune in, talk about, and celebrate a memorable queer narrative. The conversations about the show online have been relentless and show no signs of slowing down since it premiered in November 2025, with celebrities and major news outlets even joining in. A show like this, with queer characters and stories at its center, has not penetrated this deeply into the mainstream in a long time.