What’s cooler than ice hockey? A heated rivalry—especially when it comes with a side of unexpected romance. Heated Rivalry, the much-anticipated TV series based on Rachel Reid’s beloved novels, has just dropped its first official look, and let’s just say: things are getting steamy on and off the ice.
RELATED: ‘Heated Rivalry’ Doesn’t Just Subvert the Sports Drama — It Queers It
Starring Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, the star player for the Montreal Meteors, and Connor Storie as Ilya Rozanov, the fierce rival from the Boston Raiders, this adaptation promises to heat up the small screen like a slapshot to the chest. The premise is simple—two top-tier hockey players who want nothing to do with each other on the ice… but off the ice? Well, they’re skating in entirely different territory, if you catch my drift.
In a pair of freshly released images, directed by Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, the series gives us a tantalizing peek at the tension between Shane and Ilya—one moment packed with the competitive fire of a press conference showdown, and the next a softer, more intimate exchange between the pair. Think icy glares transforming into passionate kisses… if you’re into that kind of thing (and, frankly, who isn’t?).
“Their connection feels so real,” Tierney told Deadline. “Rachel allowed for this complicated dynamic that grows over seven years.”
Which, honestly, sounds like every angsty fanfic we’ve ever written—except it’s got a multi-million-dollar budget, professional athletes, and ice rinks.
RELATED: Heated Rivalry’s Hudson and Connor Tease Steamy Off-Screen Chemistry
The Heated Rivalry cast is stacked, with François Arnaud, Robbie GK, Sophie Nélisse, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Dylan Walsh, and Christina Chang rounding out the ensemble. The series’ official synopsis lays out the drama:
“Two rival hockey stars at the top of their game face an unexpected challenge when they develop feelings for each other, complicating their careers.”
Ah yes, the perfect formula for heart-stopping tension—hockey sticks, closet doors, and the looming threat of career sabotage. What’s not to love?
Not Just a Cold Game
For those already familiar with Heated Rivalry as part of Reid’s Game Changer series, you’ll know this is the second novel in a six-book saga. Each book features a different couple, but Shane and Ilya’s fiery relationship gets front and center in both Heated Rivalry and the sixth installment, The Long Game. If you’re a fan of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tropes (and let’s be real, who isn’t?), this is one to add to your queue.
Heated Rivalry is stealing all the spotlight, offering up both a steamy and heartwarming take on love, rivalry, and hockey. Plus, did I mention the steamy part?
On the Ice, Off the Ice—And Everywhere In Between
Sure, there are hockey games, physicality, and some tension-filled locker room moments to look forward to. But the real draw here is the emotional journey of Shane and Ilya—a story that doesn’t just rely on physical attraction, but also on the deep psychological and emotional hurdles two rival athletes face when they realize they’re in love with each other. Complicating their careers, as the synopsis says, doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The show is slated to hit Crave in November, although for our international readers, there’s still no official release date. But whether you’re watching from Canada or hoping for an international release sooner rather than later, it’s safe to say Heated Rivalry is going to be a must-watch.
So, grab your popcorn and get ready for the ice to melt.
Source: Deadline
Never understood the fetish girls have for hockey players for their faux homo erotic fap fic on sites like Ao3 but I know Crapazom is larded with ‘erotic’ books by female ‘writers’ about two gay or ‘questioning’ hockey players, but they are always soo boring, and sexually neutered, really bad, pale imitations of the kinds of erotic fiction that used to fill the pages of Blueboy, Honcho, and Advocate Men and that was written by actual gay men for gay men.
I mean, how many self-respecting queers would have sex just be a mostly or partially clothed mutual JO session? Jeez Louise, give me a break. Maybe when you were a 12 – 14 year old innocent, and doing it in a junior high/HS school locker room where the fear of getting caught was a thing. But mid 20s hockey players? College students? NOPE.
I’ll eventually check this out but I expect this is going to be the same as Heartbreaker: Faux Gay TV for Asian teen girls, bored southern and right wing housewives, and college girls too afraid of actual sex, and the like. Sigh.