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Stars of Queer Hockey Drama ‘Heated Rivalry’ Unpack Intimacy, Identity, And Fan-Favorite Side Couple
READ TIME: 4 MIN.
The breakout stars of queer hockey romance series "Heated Rivalry" say the show’s latest episode pushed them to new depths of vulnerability on and off the ice.
In a recent interview with Queerty, entertainment editor Cameron Scheetz sat down with actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams to discuss Episode 4, titled “Rose,” which they describe as their “most intimate” installment so far. The conversation, released on the Queerty YouTube channel, focuses on how the episode balances physical closeness, emotional risk, and the pressures of elite professional sports.
"Heated Rivalry" is a Canadian sports romance television series created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave, adapted from Rachel Reid’s "Game Changers" novels. The series follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander, an Ottawa-born Asian Canadian captain of the fictional Montreal Metros played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, a Moscow-born Russian captain of the Boston Raiders portrayed by Connor Storrie. On the ice, they are fierce competitors whose feud becomes a media spectacle, while off the ice they navigate a secret, years-long romance they fear could end their careers if revealed in a sport historically associated with rigid masculinity.
The show streams on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in other territories, and it has drawn significant attention from LGBTQ+ audiences for its unapologetically queer narrative and layered performances. In its coverage, The Washington Post praised the “bonkers” chemistry between Storrie and Williams and highlighted how their facial performances convey a “complex cocktail of feelings,” a reaction that has helped frame the series as a landmark in queer sports storytelling.
In the Queerty conversation, Storrie and Williams delve into Episode 4’s mix of tenderness and tension, much of which unfolds during their characters’ time together in Boston. They describe how seemingly small details—a home-cooked tuna melt, shared domestic routines, and an emotionally charged night out at a club—signal shifts in Ilya and Shane’s willingness to imagine a real relationship beyond clandestine hotel rooms.
Williams notes that a key moment is Ilya making food for Shane, which he reads as a sign that Ilya is prepared to open himself up to the possibility of a committed partnership in a way viewers have not seen before. Storrie adds that these scenes underscore how the characters are only beginning to understand why aspects of their relationship feel both exhilarating and painful, reflecting a lack of emotional tools that many LGBTQ+ people may recognize from early adult relationships.
The actors and Scheetz also dissect the late-episode club sequence, built around what Scheetz calls a “Galaxy Brain” song choice, a so-called “needle drop” that heightens both the euphoria and impending heartbreak of the moment. While the specific track is not named, the interview frames it as a deliberate nod to queer pop culture that rewards viewers who have been closely following the emotional arc. (It was t.A.T.u,'s "All The Things She Said.")
Episode 3 temporarily shifted focus away from Shane and Ilya to spotlight Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, a pairing that has quickly become a fan favorite. In the television adaptation, Scott Hunter is an American player and captain of the New York Admirals, portrayed by François Arnaud. Their storyline draws from Reid’s broader "Game Changers" universe, where Scott’s journey toward love and self-acceptance is explored in depth.
When asked what they think of Scott and Kip’s choices by the end of that episode, Storrie and Williams tease that the couple’s decisions are “pivotal” to the way the larger narrative unfolds. Williams emphasizes that Scott and Kip’s story overlaps significantly with Shane and Ilya’s, suggesting that the series is building toward interwoven turning points for all four men rather than treating Scott and Kip as a detached side plot.
Their comments align with the show’s strategy of using multiple queer relationships to explore varied experiences within men’s professional hockey—ranging from established veterans to rising stars, and from closeted dynamics to more openly pursued connections.
Beyond individual episodes, "Heated Rivalry" has been widely noted for broadening LGBTQ+ representation in sports media by centering a romance between two high-profile male athletes while also including other queer characters with distinct arcs. Critics have praised the show for integrating homophobia, national identity, and family pressure without reducing its characters solely to trauma, instead giving space to joy, humor, and domestic intimacy.
On 2025-12-12, Crave announced that "Heated Rivalry" had been renewed for a second season, with HBO Max continuing as a key distribution partner and Warner Bros. Discovery handling expanded international rights. According to the renewal announcement, the new season is set to adapt "The Long Game", the sixth book in the "Game Changers" series, which serves as a sequel to "Heated Rivalry" and further develops the relationship between Shane and Ilya.
For many LGBTQ+ viewers, the combination of ongoing narrative investment, inclusive casting, and thoughtful interviews like Storrie and Williams’ conversation with Queerty signals a growing appetite for sports stories that fully embrace queer romance rather than relegating it to subtext. As the series moves deeper into its run, the creative team and cast appear intent on treating these relationships with care, complexity, and a clear understanding of how profoundly they resonate with audiences looking for themselves in the arena lights.
