“Heated Rivalry,” the hit hockey romance novel adaptation, has taken the pop culture world by storm. While romance short series and sports romance novels are something this generation is no stranger to, the emotional depth and issues tackled in the series make the obsession much deeper. It’s not just about some attractive hockey players- though that can be what one perceives it as, because of the TikTok edits. It’s something much more emotional and beautiful.
The 6-episode Crave series on HBO centers around the lives of Russia’s Ilya Rozanov and Canada’s Shane Hollander, who are fictional hockey rivals. The show follows Rozanov and Hollander over almost a decade, as their relationship develops. Scott Hunter, another hockey player, and his story in love are featured in the show as well.
Jacob Tierney, the director of “Heated Rivalry,” said his vision for the show was “something extremely joyful.”
“This is a gay love story set in the world of hockey, so its very existence is an act of rebellion,” he continued in an interview with Toronto Life.,” but the show itself is happily ever after. I didn’t want to subvert too many romance tropes—I love these stories. This show is queer joy for adults.”
This encapsulates the show’s essence, and Tierney creates the space for these characters to become quickly loved by many.
When speaking about Tierney’s directing, Connor Storrie, who plays Ilya, mentioned that “I think he also was just such a fan that he saw whatever the fans of the book saw — that thing that makes everyone love this story. What that is, I think, can be a few different things. I think the love, the spice, the world, the connection. I think he was just a really, really big fan, and I think that love poured over into his interpretation of it,” in an interview with Today.
While following Ilya and Shane’s relationship, the show tackles extremely large issues as well, breaking barriers and illustrating never-before-talked-about issues in sports. It’s no surprise that the show is as popular as it is. There are so many elements of deep characterization, issues, and situations that people can relate to. And the show is not without its funny, lighthearted moments.
The show features secret relationships, fame, family issues, jealousy, the importance of representation, among so many other things, and of course, hockey. The story is a beautiful take on self-discovery, romantic relationships and their balance with fame, friends, social issues, grief, and overcoming all of these in the name of perseverance and love.
The story has even inspired hockey players in real life.
Vogue wrote that “real-life hockey player Jesse Kortuem recently credited the show with inspiring him to come out as gay, telling Out Magazine: ‘I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry’s success. Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport.’”
Rozanov and Hollander are an unlikely pair, but Hudson Williams, who portrays Shane, and Connor Storrie’s performances create a deep connection with the audience. While they both are somewhat new to the acting scene, it is hard to believe that it is both of their breakout roles.
In an interview with Timid, Williams mentioned that he hopes to “work on projects where people believe in me for something that maybe I didn’t believe people would believe in me for,” when speaking about the support for the show.
The popularity of the show doesn’t just stop with pop culture. The craze over Heated Rivalry has landed Hudson on “The Tonight Show,” and both Hudson and Connor were presenters at the Golden Globes awards. And just recently, the pair were Olympic Torch Bearers in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Ilya and Shane are not the only stand-out performances in the show. François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, does an amazing job highlighting grief, loneliness, and arguably the most important moment in the show, where he establishes representation in hockey. He builds a relationship with his local smoothie barista, and it’s because of him that the iconic “I’m coming to the cottage” line is uttered by Ilya.
The series could not be what it is without its female characters. Yuna Hollander, portrayed by Christina Chang, is Shane’s mother in the story, and is the picture of a momager, but a supportive one. Rose Landry, played by Sophie Nélisse, privotal in Shane’s journey, creates an extremely sympathetic character for many. Svetlana, played by Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, is essential to Ilya’s character and demonstrates extreme emotional intelligence.
The series is part of a 7-book series titled the “Game Changers,” written by Rachel Reid, so if you are craving more heated rivalry, fret not. The series has already been renewed for the second season. Hudson Williams told Variety that filming is expected to begin as early as summer of 2026, with Forbes speculating that the second season will hopefully be out in early 2027.
With iconic moments that are spread across TikTok edits, it’s hard to miss Heated Rivalry’s impact on pop culture continuing into 2026. It even has the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, mentioning it.
“The snow is coming down heavily across our city, and I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to say home, take a long nap or take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to Heated Rivalry on e-book or audiobook for anyone with a library card,” Mamdani said in a press conference in New York City.
For anyone looking for their next show to binge, learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community and struggles that come with that, or just looking for a simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming love story, “Heated Rivalry” might be the show for you.