Jun 5
Love on the Ice: Queer Romance 'Heated Rivalry' Gets the Series Treatment at Crave
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
The gay romance novel "Heated Rivalry," about hockey players who compete with each other on the ice but complete each other in secret, is headed to Crave as a six-part series.
"A synopsis from the producers reads: 'Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands,'" The Hollywood Reporter shared.
Adds the synopsis: "What begins as a secret fling between two confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery."
THR detailed, "Hudson Williams ['All I Need for Christmas,' 'Nobody Dumps My Daughter'] is playing pro hockey star Shane Hollander of the Montreal Voyageurs and Connor Storrie ['Joker: Folie à Deux,' 'Tiny Beautiful Things'] has the role of Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov."
Helming the series is Canadian writer/director/producer and actor Jacob Tierney, who, among projects, is known for having co-created and starred in the sitcom "Letterkenny," which ran for 54 episodes between 2016-2023.
The series, which Tierney is also writing, is an adaptation of "Canadian author Rachel Reid's 2019 page-turner of the same name," Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail noted.
Tierney explained his interest in adapting the material, remarking to the Globe and Mail: "I was drawn to the books because of how real and raw the characters felt, the way they loved, fought and held nothing back."
In a statement shared by THR, Tierney said he was "hooked from the very first chapter" of the novel.
"At its core, it's a beautiful love story with characters who feel real and so deeply human," Tierney went on to say. "Hudson and Connor are bringing Shane and Ilya to life with all the heart, heat, and chemistry that made the book such a fan obsession."
The writer-director went on to add, "We're beyond excited to bring it to the screen."
The Globe and Mail noted that Reid, on her website, "describes herself in this way: 'I like to write cute smut about hockey players and other people.'"
"The Crave adaptation of Heated Rivalry promises not to tone down those smutty elements," the newspaper shared.
Reports did not include an airdate or details about when the series might be available to U.S. viewers.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
