“They’re [also] reaching out to Rachel, our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely anonymous emails,” he continued. “Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through Instagram. Those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show, and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerve.’”

Heated Rivalry is a Canadian series adapted from Rachel Reid’s romance novel series, Game Changers. Heated Rivarly serves as the second book in the series. The story focuses on rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Despite their public on-ice clashes, the two develop an intense and secret relationship.

The show features Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov alongside Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in the lead roles. The cast also includes François Arnaud, Franco Lo Presti, Callan Potter, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, among others.

Season 1 comprised seven episodes, which began airing on November 28, 2025. Since its premiere, the show has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and audiences. It currently holds an impressive 98% Tomatometer score and a 95% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.

While the production for Season 2 is already in the works, the lead actor earlier revealed that they’ve signed on for three seasons.