In 2023, Canadian director Jacob Tierney reached out to Rachel Reid, author of the Game Changers hockey romance novel series, asking if anyone had inquired about adapting the second novel, Heated Rivalry, into a television show, and if not, if he himself could possibly take on the project. Reid was completely thrilled with the idea. In late September, they were able to gain the rights and begin the project pitch. During an interview, Tierney stated that he wanted to make sure the story had a happy ending, saying, “We want that for queer people.” They had conversations with potential buyers before the head of development for Bell Media, Rachel Goldstein-Couto, saw its potential and, as Tierney said, “bought Heated Rivalry in the room.” After that, Goldstein-Couto greenlit the show in March of 2024, and things began moving quickly. By July of 2024, Heated Rivalry was officially greenlit for production.
The first step after getting the go-ahead for the show was casting. Tierney and his team discussed wanting new and unknown, or at least mostly unknown, faces, emphasizing his desire for Canadian talent. Casting was extremely important for the series. Finally, the team decided on Connor Storrie as Ilya Rosanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, both of whom are relatively new actors, as the two main love interests. As soon as they were put in the same room, the chemistry was immediate. Storrie brought a sort of confidence and full-fledged humor to his character, and Williams showed a deep seriousness as Shane. The two were completely perfect for the roles with their book-accurate yearning hockey player looks and their ability to bring such levels of emotion, truly bringing the show to life.
Fans have gone crazy over the actors’ portrayals of the characters, however it has reached a level of straight-up insanity. Content creators on TikTok and Instagram have expressed just how cute Williams and Storrie are as a couple in the show, so that means they must be a couple in real life. Some have gone as far as pestering the cast on social media platforms, asking for deep personal information on things that obviously make them uncomfortable. People have even stated how they wish Williams and Storrie to be constantly around each other. Both the show’s director, Jacob Tierney, and the actors have said they are their own persons and wish to remain that way. Yes, they are friends, but they do not want to live the same life. Fans are also claiming that Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, and François Arnaud, actor for Scott Hunter, are “queerbaiting” them, saying that, because they play LGBTQ+ characters on a TV show, it means they have to be LGBTQ+ in real life, and/or dating each other in real life. The term queerbaiting quite literally means the incorporation of LGBTQ+ characters within television or books that appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences while holding ambiguity about said characters’ sexuality, though often times those representations are teased for the representation not being explicit, with companies, brands, or people capitalizing on the LGBTQ+ community. Williams, Storrie, and Arnaud came forward to the press in recent interviews and on Instagram, stating that their personal lives are none of our business, and we are not entitled to speculate or make such claims, that in all honesty, don’t even matter whether they’re true or not.
During both the process of filming and after its release, Tierney never expected the show to receive such great feedback and this many views due to its “overly sexual content,” and the many individuals who have spoken out against that sort of thing. However, after the sixth and final episode of the season aired, it reached the number one highest-rated and most-viewed episode in television history on IMDB in less than four days. Because of the show’s cultural significance, NHL (National Hockey League) players, both current and former, have expressed their gratitude towards the creators and cast for showing relatable experiences and what it’s truly like being a member of the LGBTQ+ community while in the NHL.
The NHL has gained significantly more viewers after Heated Rivalry’s release. The hockey world began promoting games with intense scenes from the show, and eventually the NHL embraced it, using the soundtrack for opening and closing games, and even occasionally during tense moments between NHL players on the ice. Though even with the show’s immense success, USA Hockey has decided to do what they do best by implementing a new participant eligibility policy, one that they never properly addressed to the public, trying to slide it under the table in hopes of no one noticing what was happening. The policy excludes transgender athletes from participating in the hockey league, with transgender men who’ve undergone hormone therapy having to participate in only co-ed programs. On January 22, Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender male hockey player, addressed the absurdity of the new policy in an Instagram post, saying, “It’s no surprise that men’s hockey is not a safe environment for gender non-conforming individuals, and women’s side is often the only place for most queer people to play. Barring trans individuals from these spaces essentially bars us from hockey. Horrible.” François Arnaud stated his disappointment in USA Hockey’s decision, and how he and many of his co-stars believed that at some point, not only USA Hockey, but the NHL as a whole, could change for the better, especially after how the cast shed some light on a major issue in the sport.
