Secret Gay Hockey Affair “Heated Rivalry” Drops A Very Shirtless Poster
The new promo poster for the Heated Rivalry television series has certainly grabbed attention. It features the two rivals, Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), in a shirtless face-off. Fans of the original book are understandably excited ahead of the show’s premiere.
The stars of the new gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry have a chemistry that seems too real to be just for the cameras. So, is it? Read more here (link in comments) 👇 pic.twitter.com/8kVDHJP7mI
— DNA (@DNAmagazine) September 22, 2025
A world premiere is set for Montreal.
The first two episodes will debut at Montreal’s Image+Nation LGBTQIA+ film festival on November 23. The six-part series adapts Rachel Reid’s 2019 novel of the same name. Heated Rivalry is actually the second book in her Game Changer anthology. Out queer Canadian director Jacob Tierney serves as director and executive producer for the adaptation. Initially, the drama will stream exclusively on Crave in Canada, but strong interest from the US and other countries suggests wider distribution is likely.
The series tackles a sport with a complicated history.
The show’s premise, a secret romance between two pro players, highlights a real-world issue. The National Hockey League (NHL) is the only “Big 4” professional men’s sports league without a publicly out gay or bi player in its history. While the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has openly embraced its queer athletes, the men’s league has faced recent controversies over Pride Nights and Pride Tape. This has occurred despite progress from figures like Luke Prokop, the first out gay player contracted to an NHL team.
New official poster for Connor Storrie’s upcoming series Heated Rivalry. pic.twitter.com/ApJL3TZg2v
— Connor Storrie Updates (@connorstorriehq) November 12, 2025
Author Rachel Reid is ready for the pushback.
Reid is aware that the show might ruffle some feathers. “I’m glad the story’s reaching a larger audience,” she told CBC recently. “I think in Canada, especially, it will be hard to ignore this show.”
She also acknowledged the difficult side of sports fandom. “There’s a lot of times that sport has broken my heart that had nothing to do with what was happening on the ice,” Reid said. “I think the books are kind of like a little bit therapeutic for me and a way of pushing back a little.”
the way heated rivalry is about to become the best show of all time pic.twitter.com/yT90uB9ZwV
— mikey (@buckIeydiaz) November 14, 2025
Reid noted she often hears from gay men who have complex relationships with hockey, including some who were bullied by players. For them, the novels have offered a different perspective. Now, that story of rivalry and romance between Shane and Ilya is ready for the screen.
