The icy and extra spicy Cre/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry has had fans losing their minds over weekly new episodes from this epic rivals-to-lovers hockey romance saga that quickly became the gay internet's greatest obsession.
This very horny gay show, which premiered in late November, centers Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie) as two massively popular hockey athletes who are destined, and even framed, to be rivals. Except, upon meeting each other, the only thing these guys can think about is touching, and kissing, and puckin' each other.
Helmed by out gay showrunner Jacob Tierney and inspired by Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry has solidified itself as the must-see TV event every single Friday for LGBTQ+ audiences (and allies!) all over the world.
One thing about this rivalry: It gets very heated.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in a poster for Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers series of novels, Heated Rivalry is a six-episode TV adaptation that's been brought to life by incredibly dedicated actors like Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, a passionate showrunner like Jacob Tierney (Shoresy, Letterkenny), and an overall production team featuring queer talent both on and off camera.
RELATED: Heated Rivalry season 2 — here's everything we know so farReady to break the ice? Here's everything you need to know about the Heated Rivalry cast of actors, characters, gay storylines, Instagram profiles, and latest news — which includes all of the confirmed Heated Rivalry season 2 updates.
What's the Heated Rivalry book order within Rachel Reid's Game Changers series?
The official 2024 cover art for the six novels in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series of books: Game Changer (book 1); Heated Rivalry (book 2); Tough Guy (book 3); Common Goal (book 4); Role Model (book 5); The Long Game (book 6).
Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Most of the six novels in Rachel Reid's Game Changers literary franchise focus on different characters/lead couples who he their own standalone stories (not all, but more on that later!). The story of lust and love between Shane and Ilya, as seen on the Cre/HBO Max TV show, comes from book 2 in Reid's series, Heated Rivalry, originally published in 2019.
The publishing timeline of the Game Changers series of novels is as follows:
Book 1: Game ChangerBook 2: Heated RivalryBook 3: Tough GuyBook 4: Common GoalBook 5: Role ModelBook 6: The Long Game
Heated Rivalry novel cover art; Rachel Reid at the premiere of Heated Rivalry season 1 at TIFF Lightbox on November 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario.
Harlequin Enterprises Limited; Harold Feng/Getty Images
Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid, a proud resident of Nova Scotia, Canada and a lifelong hockey fan, has clarified that none of the queer hockey players in her books he been inspired by real-life athletes.
"I've been a hockey fan since the eighties, long enough to be very familiar with the different general types of hockey players," Reid has written on her website. "One of my inspirations for Heated Rivalry was, obviously, the extremely entertaining rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin. But I was also inspired by other sports rivalries, by other fictional stories, and by my love of the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance tropes."
The author is also open about hing Parkinson's Disease. "I don't mind talking about it and I love to joke about it," Reid has also written on her website. "It's objectively a very silly disease. Right now I'm still comfortable signing my name and maybe a personalization but I can't write longer inscriptions in books anymore."
How many episodes are left on the Heated Rivalry show?
Official titles for all six episodes of Heated Rivalry season 1.
Instagram (@heatedrivalrycre)
Only one episode is left before Heated Rivalry season 1 comes to an end and fans start waiting for season 2 of the beloved gay hockey show.
This live-action adaptation, a Cre original series streaming on HBO Max for U.S. audiences, started with an explosive two-episode premiere that was followed by weekly new episodes every Friday at 12 a.m. ET.
Here's the full Heated Rivalry episode guide:
Episode 1, "Rookies": Friday, November 28Episode 2, "Olympians": Friday, November 28Episode 3, "Hunter": Friday, December 5Episode 4, "Rose": Friday, December 12Episode 5, "I'll Believe in Anything": Friday, December 19Episode 6, "The Cottage": Friday, December 26 When does the Heated Rivalry finale air?
Official title and artwork for Heated Rivalry finale (season 1 episode 6).
Instagram (@heatedrivalrycre)
The Heated Rivalry finale is scheduled to air on Friday, December 26.
The official title for this finale, episode 6 on Heated Rivalry season 1, is "The Cottage." The episode will explore the last few events from Reid's original novel about Shane and Ilya as two closeted hockey players who meet each other, start a very sexual situationship that spans several years, and eventually end up falling in love.
Hudson Williams plays Shane Hollander.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
From Vancouver, Canada, Hudson Williams is best known for playing Brandon on Tracker, Junior on Allegiance, Sean on Nobody Dumps My Daughter, and Jason on Devil Makes Three. Starring as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry, Williams is certainly experiencing a career breakout by portraying the main character in the series.
Williams has discussed in past interviews that his mother, who is of Asian descent, had concerns about his acting career.
"When I told [my mom] that I was going to be an actor, she says it scared her, because she thought her being an Asian lady… that it would kind of limit my possibilities for roles I could get. She hadn't really seen people like her on the screen," Williams said during a panel for Heated Rivalry.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
In the duality between the two main characters of Heated Rivalry, Shane Hollander is more of the overachieving athlete with a flawless reputation in professional hockey. As the captain of the Montreal Meteors (named Montreal Voyageurs in the original novel), he is also adored by sports media outlets.
Shane grows up in a loving family — mom is Japanese-American, dad is Canadian — and struggles with his sexuality due to always being so responsible and committed to a hockey career that could be blown up to pieces if he were found out to be gay.
Instagram: @hudsonwilliamsofficial
Connor Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Connor Storrie is also reaping the benefits of landing a breakout role on Heated Rivalry as the cocky and irresistible Ilya Rozanov. The 25-year-old actor is best known for playing Baxter in April X, a young inmate in Joker: Folie à Deux, Liam Hauser in Riley, and Tom in Headless Horseman.
In interviews, Storrie discussed the physical transformation that he went through in order to embody a character like Ilya, who's described in the book as being very different from how the actor actually is. Storrie also told Etalk that he's always been fascinated by Russian culture and language as a clear juxtaposition from how things are in America.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Ilya Rozanov is, in many ways, Shane Hollander's complete opposite. He comes off as someone who is entirely confident, and even arrogant at times, as captain of the Boston Raiders (named Boston Bears in the original novel). However, there are plenty of complications under that hard exterior.
A big part of Ilya's personality is influenced by hing a cold, distant, dismissive family from Russia, a country that still has intense anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in place. Even though Ilya feels secure about his bisexuality and has hooked up with both men and women, he's very aware that coming out to the world could not only damage his career, but also his ability to trel back home to visit Russia.
Instagram: @connorstorrieofficial
Here's what to know about Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov's love story on the Heated Rivalry TV show.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
The story that unfolds in the Heated Rivalry novel takes place between 2008 and 2017. The book starts when Shane and Ilya meet for the first time at a championship, and follows them for almost a decade after that.
Overall, the story nigates the lives of these two professional athletes who must remain closeted in order to continue securing sponsorships and being successful pro athletes. These themes are approached in a way that feels modern and realistic: Public feuds, media frenzies, and endorsement deals are all tackled to varying degrees.
RELATED: NHL calls Heated Rivalry a 'unique driver for creating new fans'While Reid's book can be sweet, heartfelt, and even poignant in how it addresses the relationship between athletes and money, the Heated Rivalry novel has received even more praise for not shying away from explicit sex scenes. Longtime fans of the books had been fearful that a TV show adaptation would wash out most of the risqué scenes in the books. Thankfully, that did not happen. The show is just as horny as its source material, and we love it all.
The pressures of performing masculinity, dealing with internalized homophobia, and constantly choosing between a better career or personal life are all realities that challenge these characters throughout the story. For instance, it doesn't take long for them to assign nicknames for each other on their phones. Ilya, on Shane's phone, is nicknamed "Lily." Shane, on Ilya's phone, is nicknamed "Jane."
François Arnaud plays Scott Hunter.
François Arnaud as Scott Hunter on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
François Arnaud has been an out bisexual man since 2020, when he disclosed his sexual orientation in a thoughtful social media post related to Bisexual Visibility Day. On the Heated Rivalry TV series, the actor plays Scott Hunter: A professional hockey player who happens to be the protagonist of Reid's first book in the Game Changers series of novels.
Over the years, Arnaud starred in projects such as Twinless, Blindspot, UnREAL, Yellowjackets, The Borgias, and Midnight, Texas, to name a few. In May 2024, Arnaud played a love interest in between Orville Peck and Noah Cyrus in the country singer's music video for "How Far Will We Take It?"
Instagram: @francoisarnaud
Robbie G.K. plays Kip Grady.
Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
The Heated Rivalry TV show also features an exciting appearance from Kip Grady, a fan-forite character who's the love interest of Scott Hunter (Arnaud) in Reid's first book, Game Changer. On TV, that character is played by actor Robbie G.K.
Previously, Robbie G.K. was best known for playing Riley on Overcompensating, Simon Carpenter in Marry F*** Kill, Tempo 3 on Utopia Falls, and Charlie on The Next Step.
Instagram: @robsgk
Overview of Scott Hunter and Kip Grady's love story on the Heated Rivalry TV show.
Robbie GK as Kip Grady and François Arnaud as Scott Hunter in a poster for Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Heated Rivalry episode 3, led by actors François Arnaud (as Scott Hunter) and Robbie G.K. (as Kip Grady), is a mostly one-episode story arc that honors the very first book, titled Game Changer, that inspires an entire novel series written by Rachel Reid — aptly named Game Changers in reference to that first book.
Even before this third episode aired on television, fans had been excited about book 1 getting a dedicated episode instead of leing Scott on the sidelines. If this episode had not happened, Kip would potentially not even appear in this live-action adaptation at all given that he's not a hockey player and isn't involved in the sports world whatsoever.
RELATED: Scott Hunter isn't actually clocking Shane, Heated Rivalry actor saysWithout spoiling too much, these character do appear at different points in time besides episode 3 of the Heated Rivalry TV show. They show up in significant ways that make the fans feel really excited, actually, and some viewers he loved this other queer couple on the show so much that they want an entire spinoff dedicated to this game-changing love story.
Are Scott Hunter and Kip Grady getting a spinoff?
Robbie GK as Kip Grady (L) and François Arnaud as Scott Hunter (R) in character posters for Heated Rivalry season 1; Cover art for the Game Changer novel.
HBO Max/Cre Canada; Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Given that Heated Rivalry season 2 will very likely focus on the events of The Long Game — book 6 in Reid's novel series, which focuses on Shane and Ilya and serves as a sequel to the Heated Rivalry book — viewers who fell in love with Scott and Kip wondered if the new season could also make room for this beloved couple. Or perhaps a Scott and Kip spinoff could also be in the works?
There are still no details about whether or not Scott and Kip's story in this live-action adaptation will be featured beyond their appearances in season 1. There are also currently no reports about greenlighting a spinoff dedicated to just their romance. Either way, the future is looking very bright for this franchise, so who knows?!
Callan Potter plays Hayden Pike.
Callan Potter as Hayden Pike on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Hayden Pike isn't just another hockey player on Shane Hollander's team; he happens to be Shane's closest friend on Heated Rivalry. As the series goes on, do keep an eye out for the dynamics between Hayden (as Shane's best friend) and Ilya (as Shane's love interest). Are these two going to get along? Stay tuned.
On Cre/HBO Max's Heated Rivalry TV series, the character is played by Callan Potter, who's been in Workin' Moms, Zombie Town, The Other Kingdom, Riot Girls, and Murdoch Mysteries, among other projects.
Instagram: @cal_potter
Kolton Stewart plays Carter Vaughn.
Kolton Stewart as Carter Vaughn on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Scott Hunter and Carter Vaughn are heily featured in the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry as best friends who are constantly hanging out together. On the show, Carter is played by Kolton Stewart, otherwise known for starring in projects like Some Assembly Required, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, and Disenchanted, to name a few.
Instagram: @koltonstewart
Christina Chang plays Yuna Hollander.
Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander on Heated Rivalry episode 6.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Shane's mother, Yuna Hollander, is played by actress Christina Chang on the Heated Rivalry TV show. Due to the accelerated pacing of the Cre/HBO Max series, viewers don't spend as much time getting to know Yuna as fans of the book can attest to. And yet — without spoiling too much in this guide to the actors of Heated Rivalry — this character does play a very important role on the show overall.
Chang was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, by a Chinese-Filipino father and an American mother. Besides starring in films such as Live Free or Die Hard and 28 Days, the actress is best know for playing Dr. Audrey Lim on The Good Doctor, Kiki on Rizzoli & Isles, Megan Vannoy on Nashville, and Dr. Sunny Macer on 24.
Dylan Walsh plays Did Hollander.
Dylan Walsh as Did Hollander on Heated Rivalry episode 6.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Dylan Walsh has been a booked and busy actor for several years, but Heated Rivalry fans will now certainly remember him as Did Hollander, Shane's father.
A recurring, lighthearted joke between closeted love birds Shane and Ilya is that Shane is "boring" because of "genetics," which he to do with Shane's father, Did, reading The New Yorker. Again, this is just very silly and lighthearted teasing that happens between the protagonists, as Ilya has nothing actually negative to think or say about Shane's dad.
On TV, the actor made wes playing Dr. Sean McNamara on Nip/Tuck, General Sam Lane /Bizarro on The CW's Superman & Lois, Mayor Peter Chase on Blue Bloods, and officer Jimmy Doyle on Brooklyn South. On the big screen, Walsh is known for performances like Dr. Peter Elliot in 1995's Congo, Morgan in 2006's The Lake House, and Did Harris in 2009's The Stepfather.
Matt Gordon plays George Grady.
Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady and Matt Gordon as George Grady on Heated Rivalry episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Kip Grady's father, George Grady, is played by actor Matt Gordon on the Heated Rivalry TV show. Even though the character plays a relatively small part in the television series, George was still very embraced by the fandom for his supportive, kind, and patient parenting of Kip.
Gordon, as an actor, is best known for playing Doc on Rent-a-Goalie, Oliver Shaw on Rookie Blue, and Thomas Hope on Impulse, among other projects such as a minor role in the film adaptation of Room starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson.
Nadine Bhabha plays Elena Rygg.
Nadine Bhabha as Elena Rygg on Heated Rivalry episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Elena Rygg is Kip Grady's best friend on Heated Rivalry. She keeps it real, too, which is actually very valuable when it comes to matters of "Skip" (the fans' ship name for Scott and Kip as a couple).
The character, played by Nadine Bhabha, received lots of praise as she did what needed to be done and spilled the tea that both Kip and Scott needed to hear at the time. News flash: That relationship just wasn't working.
Elena, kudos for saying that. For spilling.
Instagram: @nadinebhabs
Harrison Browne plays Connors.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Harrison Browne as Connors on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 4.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Harrison Browne — a hockey player who came out as a trans man in 2016 and went on to become the first out transgender professional hockey player in history — also stars on Heated Rivalry as a character named Connors.
Connors is the first person among Ilya's teammates to bring up the photos, videos, and reports of Shane and Rose's very public relationship, which are splattered all over celebrity-culture news outlets, as seen on Heated Rivalry episode 4.
RELATED: Heated Rivalry star Harrison Browne unpacks coming out as trans and historic hockey careerBesides his appearance on the Cre/HBO Max series, Browne reflected on coauthoring a book titled Let Us Play and making his debut as director, writer, and star of the short film Pink Light, both of which also came out in 2025. The latter is also being turned into a feature film, which is currently in development.
"I'm in the process of developing a feature and we just got funding for a portion of it," Browne told Out in an interview. "It has empowered me to feel, especially as an actor, to not feel like I he to wait for something. It's really been life-changing."
Instagram: @hbrowne24
Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova plays Svetlana Vetrova.
Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Svetlana Vetrova, played by Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, is a friend and occasional lover in Ilya's life. In many ways, Svetlana represents an easier life that Ilya could he if he committed to a relationship with a woman who also came from Russia, was very independent, and didn't even he issues with Ilya's bisexuality.
Kharlamova's past acting credits include Robyn Hood, The Boys, Downsizing, and A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, among others.
Instagram: @daniela.xk
Kaden Connors plays Sasha.
Kaden Connors as Sasha on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Kaden Connors, who's starred in projects like The Wrong Paris, Foragers, Wild Cards, and His & Hers, has been cast to play Sasha on Heated Rivalry. During Ilya's first trip to Russia in the series, it doesn't take long for fans to see that Sasha can get quite handsy.
Instagram: @kadenconnors
Yarosl Poverlo plays Grigori Rozanov.
Yarosl Poverlo as Grigori Rozanov on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Yarosl Poverlo plays Grigori Rozanov, Ilya's father, on Heated Rivalry. The character is properly introduced during Ilya's trip to Russia, and clues about Grigori seemingly suffering from memory loss are also introduced pretty early on the show.
As audiences had come to suspect, Grigori is indeed a pretty tough and conservative father with whom Ilya doesn't he the warmest relationship with… Even if the character wasn't experiencing any memory loss.
Slic Rogozine plays Alexei Rozanov.
Slic Rogozine as Alexei Rozanov on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre
Another character quickly introduced in the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry is Ilya's brother, Alexei Rozanov, played by actor Slic Rogozine. This first scene between Ilya and Alexei already establishes the sibling as someone who is known to call asking for money.
On the other hand, the TV series immediately shows Alexei looking back at a woman caring for a baby, hinting that there's probably more depth to this story than just spending a lot of money and asking for more.
Instagram: @slicrogozine
Benjamin Roy plays JJ Dagenais.
Benjamin Roy as JJ Dagenais on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Benjamin Roy portrays JJ Dagenais — another teammate of Shane's — on the show. Roy's acting credits prior to Heated Rivalry include Clouds, STAT, and Dinherio.
Instagram: @simplyzenben
Aidan Shaw plays Kolya.
Aidan Shaw as Kolya on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Aidan Shaw, known his roles as Michael Deangelo in Youngblood and Jeff Ellis (young version) on Locke & Key, also plays one of Shane's teammates, named Kolya, on Heated Rivalry.
Instagram: @aidanshaww
Brandon Ash Mohammed plays Shawn.
Brandon Ash-Mohammed as Shawn on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Another close friend of Kip's, Shawn, is played by the hilarious Brandon Ash-Mohammed.
The comedian and writer has contributed to several seasons of Canada's Drag Race, and even wrote in animated shows like Doomlands. Here, though, Ash-Mohammed simply stars as one of Kip's friends (who also occasionally works with him in catering for events).
Instagram: @brandonamcomedy
Bianca Nugara plays Maria.
Bianca Nugara as Maria on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Played by Bianca Nugara, Maria works at the same smoothie shop as Kip Grady. She is the first person to see him interacting with Scott Hunter, and can obviously tell that something is going on between them from the very beginning.
Though Kip intensely denies it and hides his relationship with Scott as much as possible, Maria is on the case, and she doesn't miss a single clue.
Instagram: @biancanugara
Matthew Finlan plays Kyle Swift.
Matthew Finlan as Kyle Swift on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Matthew Finlan plays Kyle Swift on the show, who seems like the preferred bartender for Kip Grady and his friends. He's as confused as Kip's friends upon seeing Kip so intensely invested in hockey… Seemingly out of nowhere.
Kyle doesn't say much, but he does play an integral part in Kip's early days with Scott Hunter.
Instagram: @matthewfinlan
Sophie Nélisse plays Rose Landry.
Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 4.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Heated Rivalry episode 4 introduces viewers to Rose Landry, a rising starlet who's filming a new action movie, X-Squad, and starts dating hockey superstar and Montreal Metros captain Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams).
Even though this character is someone who the fans actively root against — in the interest of Shane preserving is love story with Ilya — Rose is skillfully brought to life by actress Sophie Nélisse, best known for playing Shauna (as a teenager) on Yellowjackets, Aster in The Rest of Us, and Stéphane on L'Indétectable.
Instagram: @sophie__nelisse
Devante Senior plays Miles.
Devante Senior as Miles on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 4.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Devante Senior plays Rose's supposed best friend, Miles, who seemingly flirts with men at all times. Despite the understanding that this is Rose's best friend — and that Shane is not an out gay man — Miles flirts on Shane on basically every single scene that they he together on Heated Rivalry episode 4, which is when this character is introduced.
Instagram: @devante.swayyy
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HBO Max, the U.S. distribution of Heated Rivalry, also shared a video with lead stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie officially announcing that the gay hockey series would return for season 2.
A particularly telling moment of the video shows Storrie, who plays Ilya in the TV series, telling fans: "Start reading The Long Game if you want to spoil it for yourself."
RELATED: How Heated Rivalry went from the page to the screenThere was never any real doubt that Heated Rivalry season 2 would focus on anything else other than The Long Game, which is the next book that follows Shane and Ilya's love story. A lead actor saying it out loud in a video that confirms season 2 of the show makes that even more evident.
The Long Game, here we come!
Franco Lo Presti plays Cliff Marleau.
Franco Lo Presti as Cliff Marleau on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Played by Franco Lo Presti on Heated Rivalry, Cliff Marleau is one of Ilya's teammates who actually gets to bond with the Russian hockey star. Cliff is certainly a recurring character, but he does show up enough times as they trel together, as a team, to another game, or spend time chatting in in the locker room.
Considering that Ilya isn't a man of too many friends, it feels good to see that he's made at least one acquaintance/peer at this point.
Heated Rivalry season 2: Everything we know so far.See on Instagram
Producers he officially confirmed that Heated Rivalry season 2 is happening in a press release shared on Friday, December 12 — that same day that episode 4 of the series, "Rose," dropped on both Cre and HBO Max.
The announcement from Bella Media, Cre's parent company, reads:
"Cre's latest original series, Heated Rivalry, produced in partnership with Accent Aigu Entertainment, has exploded onto the scene, officially becoming Cre's No. 1 original series debut on record in the first seven-day streams, increasing its viewership by nearly 400 percent since the premiere on Friday, Nov. 28.
Following its record-setting launch and remarkable audience response, Cre also announces the series has been renewed for a second season, cementing its place as one of the platform's signature franchises."
Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney wrote in a statement alongside executive producer Brendan Brady:
"Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary. We're profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honor, and we can't wait to bring you even more of what you love."
Does Shane and Ilya's love story end on Heated Rivalry?
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry season 1.
HBO Max/Cre Canada
Editor's note: Potential spoilers ahead.
After setting up the love story between Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander in the Heated Rivalry novel (book 2 in the overall literary series), these characters get a sequel in The Long Game novel (book 6, and the final installment in the Game Changers series of novels so far).
Author Rachel Reid not only wrote The Long Game as a sequel for Shane and Ilya, but also as the final book in this saga of stories about enemies-to-lovers in the world of hockey. We now that Heated Rivalry season 2 is happening, but it's still not clear if the subsequent season will explore only certain parts of The Long Game to lee room for a third season. There is also the hope for Scott and Kip's love story to continue in the live-action TV adaptation, so a lot of different factors are up in the air as of this writing.
Without giving too much away: Yes, that follow-up novel does give Shane and Ilya's romance a more definitive ending, and it is a happy one. However, given that hit TV show adaptations of popular novels — projects like Netflix's Orange Is the New Black and HBO's Big Little Lies — created entirely different continuations and endings for the stories they adapted, it's hard to gauge at the moment how the Heated Rivalry TV show will conclude.