Heated Rivalry's 5 Most Burning Questions, Answered

Heated Rivalry: Here Are The Answers To Your 5 Biggest Questions

Heated Rivalry still featuring Ilya Rozanov smiling to cameras with microphones held out to him.MovieStillsDB

By Cher Thompson Published 51 minutes ago

Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV.

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While there were fans who were at the ready when HBO Max's Heated Rivalry dropped on Thursday, November 27, others were slower to learn about the series adapted from Rachel Reid's novels, leaving them with some burning questions about the show and its source material. Heated Rivalry, which will be streaming episodes weekly on HBO Max in the US and Crave in Canada, follows two professional hockey players.

Rivals on the ice, the pair have a far more complicated personal relationship than viewers have likely seen on screen in the past. Watching the connection between Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) build over the course of years will undoubtedly be well worth the effort, and while the show itself is providing answers about the story, behind-the-scenes questions have popped up for viewers.

Reid's novels follow different characters in a fictional professional hockey league through the trials and tribulations of team sports and romance, but the two that introduce Shane and Ilya are the primary focus of Heated Rivalry. As viewers get the chance to move through the pair's world, there will be more that reveals itself surrounding their story, but with the series just starting, viewers are looking for different information.

With both Williams and Storrie entering the world of being on a prestige streaming series together, their professional lives are likely to change for the better. While the pair's time as Ilya and Shane will see them thrust into a whole new world where queer romance and professional sports collide, their personal lives and motives behind playing the characters are sure to be explored.

While there are some questions about Heated Rivalry that can't necessarily be answered, like how true the show's plot and pace will be in comparison to Reid's novels, it's clear that there are some things viewers are more interested in when it comes to the show than others. Looking into some conventions and some behind-the-scenes information, here are the answers to your burning Heated Rivalry questions.

How Faithful Is Heated Rivalry To Rachel Reid’s Books?

The First Two Episodes Feature Some Differences

The leads of Heated Rivalry pressing their foreheads together

Heated Rivalry is adapted from Reid's novels, titled Heated Rivalry and The Long Game, but the show is somewhat different than its source material. While Jacob Tierney, creator of Letterkenny and the creative mind behind HBO Max's version of Heated Rivalry, worked with Reid to adapt the novels for the screen, the series had to be somewhat tamer than the books.

Tierney seems to have kept with the themes and emotional beats as the novels thus far, but the show's six-episode pace means that there will likely be some details that get cut from the books. Fans of the Heated Rivalry books should be happy with the TV adaptation thus far.

Is Connor Storrie’s Russian Accent Real?

The Actor Playing Ilya Rozanov Is From Texas

A hockey team cheers as Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) holds a trophy over his head in Heated Rivalry.MovieStillsDB

Although convincing, Storrie's accent on Heated Rivalry is something he worked on for the character. Storrie himself, a Texas native who now appears to call California home, worked to study the Russian language in order to develop his accent for Ilya. During the press tour for Heated Rivalry, Storrie opened up about crafting the accent, sharing more about his process.

While Storrie's not a native Russian speaker, his accent sounds convincing enough that many wondered if the young actor was pulling from something real. Instead, it's clear that his acting choices have been effective for viewers of the exciting new series.

How Realistic Is The Hockey World Portrayed On Screen?

The Fictional MLH Is Very Different From The NHL

Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) at a press conference in Heated Rivalry.MovieStillsDB

While the sensationalized world of professional hockey is the backdrop for Heated Rivalry, unlike other sports shows, the series does focus on the game itself frequently. Tierney shared that building the world of the MLH was important in interviews, and explained that grounding the show in real sports culture was imperative to make the plot work as the show filmed.

That being said, Heated Rivalry's world of hockey is far different than the NHL, which it's based on. While some dedicated hockey fans are disappointed in the world of the MLH on Heated Rivalry, most seem to be happy enough with the portrayal of the culture within professional hockey.

Is Hudson Williams Actually Canadian?

The Actor Is Korean-Canadian

Heated Rivalry still featuring Shane Hollander smiling to camera and speaking into a microphone.MovieStillsDB

Given that Storrie is from the United States, seeing a Canadian on a Canada-based pro-hockey series was important for Heated Rivalry. Thankfully Williams, who plays Canadian phenom Shane Hollander on the show, is Canadian. Williams shared throughout the Heated Rivalry press tour that Shane's story of being a source of representation for the Asian community was important for him as a Korean-Canadian himself.

Seeing Williams in the role of Hollander, which does heavily focus on the pressure surrounding him to be perfect as a person of color in the league, feels like a major win for Heated Rivalry as a whole.

How Explicit Does Ilya & Shane’s Romance Get On Screen?

The Series Is Definitely Mature

A still from the first episode of Heated Rivalry featuring Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in suits on a rooftop.MovieStillsDB

For those of you who have yet to watch Heated Rivalry on HBO Max, let this be a warning: the series is definitely more mature than other romance shows. With steamy scenes that don't skimp on the spice, be prepared for an explicit experience while watching Heated Rivalry. The series has its limits, but they're often much further than one may anticipate.

With Heated Rivalry choosing to depict a more direct sexual relationship as it builds emotional context, the series is definitely one that needs to be approached with caution when it comes to less mature audiences. With its abundance of steamy scenes, Heated Rivalry is a unique series.

10/10

Heated Rivalry

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed Drama Romance Sports Release Date November 28, 2025 Network Crave Directors Jacob Tierney

Cast

Connor Storrie Ilya Rozanov
Hudson Williams Shane Hollander

Genres Drama, Romance, Sports Creator(s) Jacob Tierney, Rachel Reid Powered by

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Heated Rivalry

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