Everyone should watch Heated Rivalry

The end of 2025 brought an early Christmas gift: the Crave TV show Heated Rivalry. 

Chronicling the 10-year situationship-turned-romance of fictional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), the show was heartfelt, sexy and highly intoxicating. 

I’ve already rewatched the entire season, and plan on doing so again. The lead actors were new to me, but boy, did they ever deliver. 

It seems I wasn’t the only one who felt this way: the show received international acclaim and has already been greenlit for a second season.

Heated Rivalry’s popularity has been off the charts, becoming Crave’s number one original series debut on record in the first seven-day streams. HBO Max quickly hopped on board, picking up the show’s international distribution rights in light of its meteoric popularity.

HBO’s support brought a wider audience, a larger platform, and hope in the form of a gay, Canadian, hockey romance. 

Heated Rivalry as hope for queer stories

One of the more obvious impacts of the show is that this is queer art, a piece of LGBTQ+ media. 

The fact that Heated Rivalry, an unabashedly LGBTQ+ show, has been so successful proves there is a hunger for queer media. 

With two LGBTQ+ lead characters, Heated Rivalry shows that queer people can exist joyfully in media — they are not secondary characters or plot devices, but protagonists worthy of having their stories told.  

But the show doesn’t deny the reality of being LGBTQ+. Both protagonists face difficulties because of their queerness, having careers as professional hockey players in an environment of toxic masculinity. And by the end of season one, there is an openly gay hockey star, and the main couple winds up together in the end. Love wins, even in the face of struggle. 

Heated Rivalry as hope for Canadian media

I mostly watch American TV. Canadian shows rarely achieve the same reach as American content, and a lot of homegrown shows I’ve tried to watch are simply uninteresting. But Heated Rivalry is different.

The show piqued my interest and far exceeded my expectations. The song selection was on point, the cinematography was emotionally moving, and the acting was everything I could ever want in a show. 

Heated Rivalry is not only set in Canada, but it’s also filmed and produced in Canada, with help from the Canadian Media Fund, meaning the show was directly funded by tax dollars. 

Its popularity proves that the world wants more of what Canadian media has to offer, which could further national funding towards the arts. 

Rachel Reid’s success: hope for the English major

The show is based on a book series by Nova Scotian author Rachel Reid, and as an English and creative writing student myself, with the semi-secret dream of publishing a book, this adaptation inspired me by proving that Canadian authors can make it big.  

It can be difficult to believe in yourself as a young writer. Submitting pieces to contests is daunting, and being published is a dream that few achieve. 

Reid’s success is an important reminder that Canadian authors matter, their stories are worth telling, and that there is an audience ready for their art. Heated Rivalry is one of many pieces of Canadian content with the capacity to make it big. 

I can’t wait for next season.