Unless you decided to partake in a technology cleanse banishing you from the grid during winter break, it is likely you have heard about Heated Rivalry — the viral hockey romance show based on Rachel Reid’s book. It has been ubiquitous on social media with flooded feeds of edits, articles, interviews, and podcast clips. The main stars, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, have appeared on multiple talk shows and even presented an award at the recent Golden Globes. Even the commissioner of the NHL (National Hockey League), Gary Bettman, recently admitted to binge-watching the entire series in one night. Yet the show’s sudden, raging success came as a surprise to many. In a world of mass productions with endless budgets and well-known stars, take the fifth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which reportedly cost about $400 million and took years to make. On the contrary, Heated Rivalry was filmed in 37 days, with a modest budget (reportedly around $3 million) and two undiscovered actors. While it aired on HBO Max in the US, the show was made for Crave, a Canadian streaming platform. So what made Heated Rivalry so successful?
Heated Rivalry follows two competing hockey players, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, as they navigate their careers in the NHL and, more importantly, their relationship. The season covers over ten years, starting with their first meeting at the World Juniors Championship. The show explores their initial attraction, their personal bond, and the realities of being a gay man in a notoriously straight and homophobic sport.
Now, I’ll admit, this series was presumably made for someone exactly like me. I love romance, I identify with the LGBTQ+ community, and I have been an avid NHL fan for as long as I can remember (Go Isles!). However, when Heated Rivalry was first recommended to me, I was shocked that it was so popular with the people around me. After finishing the show, I can confidently say I understand why it has resonated with a wide range of personalities.
Representation of gay relationships in sports, especially in the major leagues in the US, is minimal, if not zero. On television, depictions of homosexuality tend to be quite limited. Many featured relationships follow the stereotypical masculine and feminine images, in which one partner is presented as more ‘manly’ while the other is more effeminate, and explicit gay sex rarely qualifies for mainstream television. Heated Rivalry does not adhere to either of those classic limitations, instead pushing the envelope with two leading, masculine men as lovers and the inclusion of graphic sex scenes. This is incredibly refreshing and has expanded viewership from the queer community and traditional lovers of the genre to hockey lovers, athletes, straight men, and beyond. The show’s ability to market itself as both a gay romance and a sports series (though the jury’s out on how much hockey actually gets played across the six episodes) draws in a diverse audience that has been key to its success. The impact and importance of this representation are evident in the way the show has spoken to the hearts of so many people. Hudson Williams admitted receiving many heartfelt messages from closeted athletes across the major sports leagues.
The popularity of Heated Rivalry has presented an opportunity for the NHL itself and related enterprises, which have further expanded its reach to the entire hockey world. Multiple teams have taken to social media and referenced the series, while the Commissioner himself released a statement about his personal enjoyment of the show. ‘What Chaos!’, a well-known hockey podcast, took to creating a consistent segment in many of their episodes in which they discussed their own thoughts on season 1. This has resulted not only in Heated Rivalry expanding its fan base but also in a rise in hockey sales, with StubHub revealing that interest in NHL tickets has spiked by 40% since the series’ release. The show’s success is tied to the NHL’s, motivating the league to continue to support Heated Rivalry’s rising popularity. They are motivated to maintain their relevance in the news, which is why they issued the Gary Bettman statement and have been posting consistently on social media. However, the expanded exposure is not all positive. Heated Rivalry actor, Francois Arnaud, has called out the league for capitalizing on the show’s success, challenging the NHL to truly demonstrate its support for the series by enacting real change in the sports environment.
Beyond the wide audience appeal and NHL spotlight, Heated Rivalry has succeeded because it is an undeniably well-done series. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were the show’s backbone, each character depicted in a thoughtful, complex, and heartfelt manner. In just six episodes, the viewer can get to know the real Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov and watch their relationship blossom over the course of a decade. Each scene between them is captivating, with their chemistry leaping from the screen. The pacing never feels rushed; instead, each scene feels precious and tender — stolen moments cherished by each character even amid the seeming impossibility of their situation. The show is sexy and seductive without sacrificing emotional depth. Jacob Tierney’s writing and directing elevate Heated Rivalry from pure smut to something addicting, heartfelt, and beautiful.
Regardless of the exact reason, Heated Rivalry has taken the world by storm, with HBO and Crave announcing the series has been renewed for a second season. The extent of the show’s success is a testament to the growing need for inclusivity in gay romance and to how much the love story resonates with audiences around the world. The hope is that such attention and appreciation translate to real change within the professional hockey environment and beyond.