Is Heated Rivalry based on a true gay love story? Author Rachel Reid clarifies
The series, created by showrunner Jacob Tierney, is adapted from Reid’s novel of the same name
By Aaron Sugg
New gay hockey romance series Heated Rivalry is taking HBO Max and Crave by storm. Following actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as they navigate their relationship on and off the ice, viewers are left asking: is it based on a true story?
The first two episodes were released on 28 November. Through the characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the series features several highly anticipated sex scenes, exploring themes of internalised homophobia and, of course, sportsmanship.
The series, created by showrunner Jacob Tierney, is adapted from Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name in her Game Changers series, which, as she has revealed, is not based on a true gay love story.
“I never directly base my characters on any real people” – Rachel Reid on her series adapted novel Heated Rivalry
However, Reid does draw inspiration from several athletes, especially Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, two rival National Hockey League players, though not romantically involved.
“I never directly base my characters on any real people,” the writer states on her website. “One of my inspirations for Heated Rivalry was, obviously, the extremely entertaining rivalry between [Sidney] Crosby and [Alexander] Ovechkin.”
She explained that her inspiration does not stop there: “But I was also inspired by other sports rivalries, by other fictional stories, and by my love of the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance tropes.” Reid continued: “My characters are original, and I work hard on creating them.”
Crosby plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ovechkin for the Washington Capitals; they first faced each other in 2005, where their sporting rivalry began. Over time, the rivalry evolved into friendship.
Who inspired characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov?
For Ilya’s character, Reid revealed to CP24 last month that she was inspired by flashy European players such as Jaromír Jágr, Teemu Selänne, Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk.
She reflected that Shane’s character draws from more stoic “good captain” types, including Wayne Gretzky, Crosby and Paul Kariya.
During her TV show appearance, Reid shared her thoughts on seeing her novel hit the screen, she said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic with it.”
“I don’t even know if fans are ready for how good this is” – Reid hints at upcoming Heated Rivalry episodes
In the same interview, the author expressed her excitement about the adaptation: “It’s amazing… I couldn’t have dreamed a better adaptation of it,” she said.
“I think fan expectations are sky-high, and I think they’re going to be exceeded. I don’t even know if fans are ready for how good this is.”
Episode three aired on 5 December, where Williams and Storrie took a step back from the limelight. Viewers were properly introduced to actor François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, and his on-screen love interest Kip Grady, played by Robbie G.K.
Hunter is the protagonist of Game Changer, book one in Reid’s book franchise including the Heated Rivalry novel. In the story, he is the team captain of the New York Admirals.
When is Heated Rivalry episode four released?
Episode four of Heated Rivalry will arrive on HBO Max and Crave on 19 December, with an official UK broadcaster yet to be announced.
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