Heated Rivalry
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Get ready for a rivalry that's hotter than the ice. Heated Rivalry, the Canadian sports romance series from Crave, brings Rachel Reid's beloved Game Changers novels to life. It's the story of two of Major League Hockey's biggest stars, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. On the ice, they're fierce competitors. Off the ice? Their animosity ignites a passionate, secret romance.
Premiering November 28, 2025, on Crave, and available simultaneously in select regions on platforms like HBO Max, Heated Rivalry dives deep into the lives of these two athletes. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Bound by ambition, a burning rivalry, and a connection they can't explain. What started as a fleeting fling between rookies quickly escalates into a years-long dance of love, denial, and the ultimate self-discovery. For eight years, as they chase championship glory, they battle to understand their undeniable feelings for each other. Torn between the sport they live and breathe for, and a love they simply can't ignore, Shane and Ilya face a monumental choice. Can their fiercely competitive world make room for something as fragile, yet as powerful, as true love? This is based on Rachel Reid's best-selling cult classic novel.
The series stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov. Joining them are François Arnaud as Scott Hunter, Christina Chang as Shane's mother, Yuna Hollander, Dylan Walsh as Shane's father, David Hollander, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova, Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry, and Callan Potter as Shane's teammate and best friend, Hayden Pike.
In supporting roles, you'll see Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady, Slavic Rogozine as Ilya's brother, Alexei Rozanov, Yaroslav Poverlo as Ilya's dad, Grigori Rozanov, Kaden Connors as Sasha, Harrison Browne as Connors, and Aidan Shaw as Kolya.
Heated Rivalry is brought to you by creator, writer, and director Jacob Tierney, who first approached Rachel Reid in 2023 about adapting her Game Changers series. Development for Crave was first revealed in January 2025, with official confirmation coming at the Bell Media Upfront in June 2025. Tierney also executive produces alongside Brendan Brady for Accent Aigu Entertainment, with Lori Fischburg producing and Rachel Reid serving as consulting producer.
The cast is led by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, with an ensemble that includes François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
Filming began in April 2025 across Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal, Québec. A significant portion of this innovative series was captured on Dark Slope's Virtual Production soundstage in Toronto. The advanced LED volume technology allowed for high-production value shots of Russia, Las Vegas, and breathtaking beach scenes, all while working within a more contained budget.
The series made its debut on Crave on November 28, 2025, with a two-episode premiere, followed by weekly installments, culminating in the finale on December 26. Before its television debut, the first episode was previewed at the 2025 Image+Nation festival on November 23. Heated Rivalry is also available through HBO Max in the United States and Australia, Sky in New Zealand, and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
Heated Rivalry is a Canadian sports romance television series created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave, and is based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novel series. It follows two rival professional hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) whose on-ice animosity conceals a passionate, secret romance.
The series premiered in Canada on November 28, 2025 on Crave, and simultaneously in select regions across multiple platforms, including HBO Max in the United States and Australia.
== Synopsis ==
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry, and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh faced rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings for each other. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love. Based on the best-selling cult classic novel by Rachel Reid.
== Cast ==
=== Main ===
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov
François Arnaud as Scott Hunter
Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander, Shane's mother
Dylan Walsh as David Hollander, Shane's father
Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova
Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry
Callan Potter as Hayden Pike, Shane's teammate and best friend
=== Supporting ===
Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady
Slavic Rogozine as Alexei Rozanov, Ilya’s brother
Yaroslav Poverlo as Grigori Rozanov, Ilya’s dad
Kaden Connors as Sasha
Harrison Browne as Connors
Aidan Shaw as Kolya
== Episodes ==
== Production ==
=== Development ===
Heated Rivalry is based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid. Jacob Tierney first reached out to Reid in 2023 to discuss the possibility of adapting the books to a limited television series. In January 2025 it was first revealed that the series was in development for Crave. This was confirmed by Reid on her blog. In June 2025, it was officially announced at the Bell Media Upfront that the series would be streamed on Crave. Jacob Tierney created, wrote, and directed the series. He also serves as an executive producer alongside Brendan Brady through their production banner Accent Aigu Entertainment. Lori Fischburg is a producer of the series, and Reid is a consulting producer.
=== Casting ===
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie lead the cast as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, respectively, alongside François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
=== Filming ===
Filming of the series commenced in April 2025 in Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Québec. A large portion of the innovative series was shot at Dark Slope's Virtual Production soundstage in Toronto. The LED volume allowed the director to include realistic high production value shots of Russia, Las Vegas, beach scenes and so much more working within a tighter budget.
== Release ==
The series debuted on Crave with a two-episode premiere on November 28, 2025, followed by weekly episodes, with the finale airing on December 26. In advance of the program's television premiere, the first episode received a preview screening at the 2025 Image+Nation festival on November 23, 2025. The series was released by HBO Max in the United States and Australia, Sky in New Zealand, and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
== References ==
== External links ==
Official website
Heated Rivalry at IMDb
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