#heated-rivalry

#heated-rivalry

It's a show that's taught a lot of people about hockey, and it's taught a lot of straight women that their sexuality is 'gay guy.' The studio audience, seemingly stuffed with Heated Rivalry viewers, chortled back in approval. From the jump, Storrie knowingly winked at those who had likely tuned in because of his role on the show: as an athlete with a rippling physique, who often appears naked on-screen.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are in full swing, so everyone's FYP is popping off with all things snow sports. And I don't know about you, but as someone who doesn't usually watch sports, Heated Rivalry had me questioning if I'm secretly a massive hockey fan. That show alone convinced me to scroll through socials for the best Olympic moments, posts, and memes.

The Crave show, which follows closeted pro hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), has seemingly sent the entire world into " mass psychosis." HBO, which acquired the show for US distribution, is now playing it in well over a dozen countries and says viewership has more than doubled since the finale. In short, it's broken a bunch of records.

With that in mind, I asked the women of InsideHook to name the sexiest TV scenes of all time. (As you might expect, our picks include a lot of Heated Rivalry. Just let us have this.) To be clear, these aren't all sex scenes - sometimes a passionate kiss or even a situation where there's no actual touching but the sexual tension is too much to bear can be just as impactful, especially when it's something that's been built up and teased over multiple seasons.

Heated Rivalry may have been in our lives since the end of November but the internet's obsession with the series is still going strong. And Google has playfully referenced this whilst also looking ahead to season two. For those that have missed the furore until now - we can't imagine it's that many! - Heated Rivalry is the LGBTQ+ sports drama that has gripped the internet.

After an initial small-time release as a Crave original in November, the super sexy queer ice hockey drama went supernova. It's now on HBO, the home of The Last of Us and Severance, and reached UK shores in January, on Sky. Online, the response has been rampant. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who play the red hot rivals in question Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, are now red hot Hollywood property too (in January, they presented at the Golden Globes).

Heated Rivalry has taken over New York-well, the world really-with themed raves, trivia nights, watch parties and more. It's not looking like the horny obsession over the queer hockey romance is ending any time soon. In NYC, you can ice skate like Hollanov, hit the clubs like Hollanov and, yes, even scarf down tuna melts like Hollanov. From burgers to blueberry smoothies, here's where you can dine like the Heated Rivalry fellas in New York City.

The government currently ruling Russia has been understandably criticized for its attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. That hostility - homophobia as official government policy - is one of many reasons why the U.S. State Depaertment advises against visiting Russia. And while the country's government is engaged in actively repressing sexuality, there's plenty of evidence that a significant number of Russians are turning in to Heated Rivalry - albeit through unofficial means.

Robbie G.K. (Robbie Graham-Kuntz), from the wildly popular hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, was in the house, seated in the lower bowl with his friends. Robbie plays the character Kip Grady, a history-loving smoothie shop barista, in the show. "Hey, what's up Canucks fans? It's Robbie GK here. You might recognize me from Kip from the show, 'Heated Rivalry.' I am clearly here at the Canucks game for Pride Night. Very happy to be here and support this great event and go, Canucks! Go!"

Following the explosive success of queer sports romance Heated Rivalry, fans are thirsty for an upcoming lookalike contest, which aims to crown NYC's versions of Ilya Rozanov ( Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander ( Hudson Williams). Storrie and Williams' face cards have been everywhere since the show's release. But if you're missing the cottage, you should head to Washington Square Park in New York City on Sunday (January 25).

Tough luck if you prefer your romcoms PG-rated, or ice hockey leaves you cold: there is no escaping Heated Rivalry. The steamy coming-of-age series has been a sensation in North America, making instant stars of its leads as producers rush to make more of it. It's hard to remember the last TV show to spark such a furore, let alone one from Canada's Crave network.

There's something very sweet about a public display of male friendship that feels uninhibited and real. The Heated Rivalry press circuit is a reminder of how endearing non-toxic bromances are. In 2026, young men are inundated with harmful messages about masculinity: they're supposed to "man up" and provide; be stoic, not open. Against that backdrop, the co-stars' bond makes a glorious statement: They're hunky, they're hilarious, they're besties - and they don't care who knows it.

I remember coming here when I was 13 to be on a radio show and how nervous I was,

The content - particularly for young people - may be a little spicy, so you have to balance that out. I thought the storyline was very compelling. And a lot of fun, because I could see where they were picking at things we (as a league) had done in the past, whether or not it was being in Sochi or the All-Star Game in Tampa. It was very well done.

Public records of the charges didn't list the content that the streaming services, which include Kinopoisk, Wink, Ivi, Amediteka, 24TV, Digital Television and Beeline TV, are accused of sharing on their platforms, as reported by The Moscow Times. The publication added that reporting from Mediazona noted several of the companies had been previously fined for streaming content that was described by Russian authorities as promoting "non-traditional" relationships and lifestyles.