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SummaryRival pro hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) struggle to hide their relationship and growing feeling for each other in the drama series adapted from Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" book series. [Also airs in Canada on Crave on 28 Nov 2025]

Created By:Jacob Tierney

Heated Rivalry

Season 1 Premiere: 
Nov 27, 2025
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.4
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
57% Positive
4 Reviews
29% Mixed
2 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
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  • Negative Reviews
Dec 9, 2025
90
RogerEbert.com
What the first few episodes of the series lack in dynamic storytelling, the show makes up for with the scenes shared between the two leads. .... Williams and Storrie share a chemistry so intense it rivals Bogart & Bacall, shaping this series into not only one of the most entertaining shows of the year, but also one of its most significant.
Dec 1, 2025
80
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
It’s unclear where this is going — early episodes suggest a doomed affair à la “Fellow Travelers,” or maybe it will become more upbeat like “Heartstopper” — but through its first two episodes, the show definitely lives up to its title.
User score
Universal Acclaim
84% Positive
138 Ratings
5% Mixed
8 Ratings
11% Negative
18 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Feb 20, 2026
10
redkleekai
Wow. Easily the best show I've seen in years. Already completed several rewatches!
Feb 1, 2026
10
by97aa
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Dec 1, 2025
80
Collider
Overall, though, Heated Rivalry is definitely recommended for those who love romance stories featuring handsome leads with instant, palpable chemistry.
Dec 1, 2025
70
The Hollywood Reporter
Critics have only been sent the season’s first two episodes, which makes it hard to tell how some of my reservations with the storytelling will play out. But so far Heated Rivalry is swoony, raunchy, very Canadian and will satisfying viewers looking for seasonal flirtation (and more) without a trace of Christmas content.
Jan 12, 2026
60
The Telegraph
The storytelling is at the teenage drama level. And the acting, from some cast members, is at the daytime soap level. That’s okay. Heated Rivalry is not to be taken terribly seriously.
Jan 12, 2026
60
The Guardian
After a while, however, watching people have sex – however perfect their bottoms – is undeniably tedious. And watching young men banter in between times (“You’re boring” says Ilya, repeatedly. “You’re an asshole,” Shane generally replies) even more so. .... Sex becomes love (and sex) and intimacy (and sex) and the banter improves a bit. Whether it is reward enough for sitting through the first few hours is for you to decide.
Dec 1, 2025
30
Decider
While the subject matter of Heated Rivalry is somewhat daring, the first episode plays out like something that used to be shown late nights on Cinemax instead of story with well-drawn characters and romantic chemistry between its leads.
See All 7 Critic Reviews
Jan 15, 2026
10
Grzegorzsa
An amazing show that shows why representation in not only TV shows but media in general is so important. Amazing cinematography and amazing acting from both the leads
Jan 19, 2026
6
Seanellis0828
It is a fine show but the ratings are biased because most people arent willing to be non-conforming. The show is about two gay people, if people didnt have a strong rating towards it then they would consider the general public as "homophobic" IMO, this show isnt deserving of the ratings it has got especially when season 1 is considered better than season 1 of shows like BCS, BB, etc.
Dec 19, 2025
3
Geezus88
I desperately wanted to love Heated Rivalry, but this adaptation proves that explicit content alone cannot compensate for fundamentally weak storytelling and wooden performances. While the series attempts to navigate the complexities of closeted professional athletes navigating secret romance, it stumbles badly in nearly every aspect of **** most glaring issue is the writing, which reduces potentially nuanced emotional conflicts to clunky exposition and stiff dialogue. Hudson Williams, in particular, delivers his lines with all the vitality of a corpse- each scene feeling performative rather than lived-in. Where the script demands vulnerability and chemistry, we instead get stiffness and awkward pauses that no amount of bedroom scenes can remedy. The one redeeming element is Connor Storrie, who somehow manages to inject genuine emotion and integrity into material that fights him at every turn. Storrie's performance hints at what this series could have been- he finds moments of authentic feeling within the constrained dialogue and brings a much-needed humanity that his scene partners rarely match. It's a testament to his skill that he makes anything work at all. Having read the source novels, I can say the books themselves aren't masterpieces, but they at least benefit from more generous pacing that allows the characters room to breathe and develop organically. The adaptation ruthlessly compresses this timeline, leaving us with underdeveloped relationships and emotional beats that land with a thud rather than resonance. If you're looking for thoughtful exploration of sexuality, secrecy, and the costs of staying closeted, look elsewhere. Fellow Travelers tackles similar themes with infinitely more sophistication, nuance, and genuinely compelling performances. That series understands that intimacy- both physical and emotional- requires build-up, chemistry, and actors who can convey complex interior lives. Heated Rivalry might scratch an itch for viewers seeking explicit **** content, but there are far better series deserving of your time- ones where the writing, acting, and direction work in harmony rather than against each other.
Dec 25, 2025
2
dhammazediroad
Heated Rivalry succeeds at filming sex scenes in a provocative way, but there's very little substance to the show apart from overdramatic lust. The show isn't breaking new ground, it's not revealing anything interesting about qu*er lives, and it's just so pedestrian and shallow
Jan 14, 2026
0
EloisaVale
Senão ter cenas de sexos na série não tem mais nada a se mostrar. Não entendo esse hyper todo.
See All 26 User Reviews
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  • Accent Aigu Entertainment
  • Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
  • Bell Media
  • Canada Media Fund (CMF)
  • Crave
Nov 27, 2025
2 Seasons
TV-MA
The Queerties
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
GLAAD Media Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
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