Somehow haven’t been caught up in the beautiful frenzy of Heated Rivalry yet? Okay, look, you’ve gotta start tuning in. Writer Fiona Ralph (and now, fervent fan) explains exactly why you should get on board this fandom, stat…
If you haven’t heard of Heated Rivalry, then I must applaud you for being far less online than I am. Because it’s everywhere right now. And if you’ve heard of it but haven’t watched it yet, then may I politely ask why the hell not?
The insanely popular Canadian TV show, written and directed by Jacob Tierney and based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid, follows two closeted professional ice hockey players (arch rivals Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, played by Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams respectively), who fall for each other despite all odds. It’s steamy, emotionally charged and groundbreaking in its depiction of queer romance. And while the show, currently streaming on Neon, has understandably been embraced by the queer community, it’s also become a wider-reaching hit. Because while it’s a game changer for gay and bisexual representation in sports and media, it’s also just a beautifully shot, written and directed love story. But I can’t promise that you won’t become obsessed with fictional queer hockey players after watching it.
Since I’m now one of those obsessed fans, and I’ve run out of friends and family members to convince of the show’s merits, I’m now onto persuading random internet strangers to watch it. Hence, nine reasons below to watch one of the greatest shows of all time (see number nine, it’s not just my opinion).
Number One: The Actors
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were previously relatively unknown actors who have had a meteoric rise to fame thanks to Heated Rivalry’s unexpected success.
Casting directors Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay conducted a worldwide search and watched thousands of tapes to find the perfect men to bring the charmingly awkward Asian-Canadian, Shane, and arrogant yet loveable Russian, Ilya, to life. And they nailed it.
The chemistry between the two, who have now become best friends, is palpable. And you’d never know that Connor is actually a Texan who had to perfect a Russian accent for the show. But even though they’re now busy presenting at the Golden Globes, hosting SNL, attending fashion weeks and bearing Olympic torches, the actors don’t appear to have let fame go to their heads. They’re continuing to be their hilarious, non PR-friendly selves for social media clips and interviews.
Number Two: The Entire Media Universe
Heated Rivalry is just one of the books in the Game Changers series (the show also incorporates the story from Game Changer, the first book in the series). The sixth book, The Long Game, continues Shane and Ilya’s story, and is set to be the plot of season two, while a seventh book, Unrivaled, also based on Shane and Ilya, is due out next year. So there are a whole lot of ways to fill your time while you wait for season two to land in 2027.
Number Three: Scott and Kip
While Shane and Ilya’s is the principal relationship explored in the series, we can’t forget fellow ice hockey player, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud), and his smoothie-making partner, Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.). Their love story, from the book Game Changer, is explored in depth in one episode, and resurfaces in one of the most emotionally charged, re-watchable, scenes of the series.
Number Four: Queer Representation
Heated Rivalry highlights closeting in the notoriously homophobic ice hockey world – and of course this is a reality in many other sports around the world too. There has never been an openly gay or bisexual player in North America’s National Hockey League (the NHL is the inspiration for Heated Rivalry’s Major League Hockey or MLH). And with over 700 players on official NHL opening-day rosters this season and almost one in 10 people in the US identifying as LGBTQ+ according to a Gallup poll… well, you do the math.
Heated Rivalry has already inspired ice hockey player Jesse Kortuem to come out publicly as gay. Hopefully the series will inspire many more sportspeople to be able to live as their authentic selves, and encourage players and fans to ditch the homophobia.
Number Five: The Sex Scenes
Hey, it’s what many of us started the show for – author Rachel Reid herself calls her books “cute smut about hockey” – but while you may come for the sex scenes, you’ll stay for the emotional vulnerability.
From conversations about consent to the deliciously slow-burn love story, Heated Rivalry offers a nuanced depiction of gay intimacy not often shown on television. “That’s why I wanted to make it,” director Jacob Tierney told CBC News show The National. “It is a celebration of queer joy.”
Number Six: The Killer Soundtrack
From the resurgence of t.A.T.u. (yes, that fake lesbian Russian duo) to indie Canadian artists like Wolf Parade and Peter Peter (who created an original score by improvising to the footage), the soundtrack adds intensity to the most pivotal moments of the series.
Some of the song choices were hailed by media and fans as the needle drops of the year when the series launched late last year – reflected in the hundreds of thousands of social media clips featuring the songs, and the millions of streams gained by the artists.
Number Seven: The Insane (in the best way!) Fandom
From viewing parties to lookalike contests, themed spin classes and club nights (from Club 90s’ US raves to Superficial’s local parties), the fans have helped the show to take on a life of its own.
And in the time of ICE raids, Epstein files and wars, it’s nice to have a break from doomscrolling to hopescroll #Hollanov edits, interviews and fan reactions.
Number Eight: Political Endorsements
The low-budget series had the support of the Canadian government, and the country’s prime minister Mark Carney has delightedly talked about the importance of the show – and how glad he is that a US studio didn’t get the chance to tone it down.
New York’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani also gave a nod to the show’s success when he suggested supporting the New York Public Library by downloading the e-book or audiobook during a recent snowstorm.
Number Nine: The Ratings
You don’t have to take my word for it, just check out how well Heated Rivalry has been ranked online. At the time of writing, all the rave reviews have earned the show a rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and each episode has a rating of over nine on Imdb. Episode nine, with its cinematic climax, is rated 9.9 – coming in seventh for highest rated TV episode ever (for episodes with over 1000 ratings). So what are you waiting for? Go see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Heated Rivalry is available to watch on NEON now.
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About the Author:
Fiona Ralph is a freelance journalist whose passions include pop culture, vintage fashion and travel. She’s written for many of the country’s major media organisations, including Stuff, The Spinoff and the New Zealand Herald.
She lives in Auckland with her husband, son and two very noisy cats, and spends her free time op shopping, scrolling Reddit and exploring local beaches.