Heated Rivalry: Queer romance on hot ice rink

A new kind of queer love story hit screens this autumn — one that swaps coming-out arcs for lingering stares across hockey rinks, stolen nights in hotel rooms, and the unforgiving pressures of elite sport.

Heated Rivalry, the highly anticipated adaptation of Rachel Reid’s bestselling gay hockey romance, premiered 28 November on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US and Australia.

The six-episode series is directed by Canadian filmmaker Jacob Tierney, known for Letterkenny and Shoresy. Tierney first encountered the novel in a 2023 Washington Post feature on the rise of hockey romance — and immediately contacted Reid. Within days, he had secured the rights.

The show follows Canadian hockey prodigy Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and his Russian rival Ilya Rozanov(Connor Storrie), whose professional battlefield slowly evolves into a decade-long clandestine relationship. Their story spans international tournaments, hotel-room reunions, and narrow spaces between long stretches on the road.

Tierney insisted on preserving the emotional intensity and sexual openness of the novel, which meant finding actors who could embody both athletic physicality and deep vulnerability. Many declined. But Williams and Storrie’s chemistry read was, he says, “undeniable.”

Speaking to Teen Vogue, Tierney explained: “These books are written by women and largely consumed by women. Once you film this, gay men will watch — we’re starved for these stories. But the secret huge audience here is women.”

The production also retains Hollander’s identity as a biracial Japanese-Canadian character, ensuring the adaptation reflects the novel’s commitment to representation.

The trailer has already surpassed a million views.

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