Where ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Could Go, According to the Books

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Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov sitting at a bar together in Heated Rivalry Season 1, Episode 5.

Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.

Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.

Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Heated Rivalry Season 1.

Hockey season may still be in full swing, but the romance is just getting started in Heated Rivalry. Based on Rachel Reid's Game Changer books, the Crave Original series (which airs on HBO Max in the U.S.) centers around legendary captains Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) facing off on the opposite sides of the ice. Behind closed doors, however, they can't keep their hands off each other.

Even before its season finale finished airing, Heated Rivalry was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, earning it a renewal for a second season. While creator Jacob Tierney has shared that the series isn't expected to return until early 2027, fans of the books already have a good idea of where Shane and Ilya's relationship is headed. Spoiler alert: things are about to get even more serious — and a lot sexier.

What Happens in the 'Heated Rivalry' Season 1 Finale?

Hudson Williams as Shane and Connor Storrie as Ilya on the couch on 'Heated Rivalry.'

Shane and Ilya finally get their happily ever after in the Heated Rivalry Season 1 finale. After the shocking on-air kiss between Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and his boyfriend Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.), Ilya finds the courage to accept Shane's invitation to his cottage in the off-season, far from the public eye. Shane is thrilled, but when they reunite, both of them are understandably nervous. For two weeks, they have the cottage all to themselves, spending their days swimming in the lake, unwinding, and simply enjoying being together.

Things get awkward fast when Shane's father, David (Dylan Walsh), unexpectedly stops by the cottage and walks in on Shane and Ilya kissing. David doesn't say a word and immediately drives off, leaving the two of them panicking. Realizing there's no avoiding it, Shane decides to come clean to his parents about his sexuality and his relationship with Ilya.

The two finally open up about their years-long romance, which started before their rookie season. To their surprise, David and Yuna (Christina Chang) are understanding and grateful that Shane trusted them enough to be honest. Yuna especially admits she wishes she had made it easier for Shane to talk about his feelings sooner. Relieved and grateful, Shane and Ilya drive back to the cottage together, ready to enjoy this new chapter of their relationship.

Shane and Ilya Face More Obstacles in 'The Long Game'

With Season 2 of Heated Rivalry not arriving until 2027, there's still plenty of time for fans to speculate about what lies ahead for two of the NHL's biggest hockey stars turned lovers. However, the epilogue of the original Heated Rivalry novel and its sequel, The Long Game, suggest that they not only have to figure out what to do with their secret relationship but also confront their hearts' desires and past traumas. To bridge their personal and professional lives, Season 2 could pick up from the Heated Rivalry finale by revealing the charity founded by Shane and Ilya, which is named after Ilya's mother: the Irina Foundation.

While the two secret boyfriends genuinely want to honor Ilya's late mother, who died by suicide, the charity also gives the rival hockey captains an excuse to frequently appear together in public and work closely, effectively providing cover for their secret relationship. One part of the foundation is the annual Game Changers Hockey Camp, an all-inclusive youth summer program. This camp sets the story in motion in The Long Game, where Shane and Ilya, alongside their fellow hockey players, coach young, aspiring athletes.

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov at a press conference in Heated Rivalry

At this camp, Ilya and Shane start to seriously consider their future, especially now that they're both entering their eleventh NHL season. One of the biggest conflicts in The Long Game revolves around Shane and Ilya grappling with whether to keep their relationship hidden for another decade. Although Shane wants to love Ilya openly, his fear of outing himself gives him constant anxiety. With three Stanley Cups and a homophobic coach breathing down his neck, it's not easy for Shane to continue the legacy of the Montreal Voyageurs (renamed the Metros in the show). Meanwhile, after transferring from the Boston Bears to the Ottawa Centaurs to be closer to Shane, Ilya's no longer the fierce player he once was. Though still captain, he struggles to focus, which slowly snowballs into a deep depression connected to his traumatic past in Russia.

'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 Could Bring Back Beloved Characters and Introduce New Crossovers

Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry smiling at a club on 'Heated Rivalry.'

Fortunately, Shane and Ilya aren't alone on their new journey, as The Long Game reveals. Familiar faces return, including Rose Landry (Sophie Nélisse), Shane's celebrity ex turned best friend. Their past relationship was fun but short-lived, and Rose has since become one of Shane's closest allies, frequently meeting him whenever they're in the same town. Another returning figure plays a bigger role this time: Hayden Pike (Callan Potter), Shane's best friend and fellow Montreal Metros teammate. Fans may remember him as a father of four who once took Shane on a family outing to the aquarium.

The Long Game also features notable crossovers from two other Reid novels. Season 2 could very well bring in Ryan Price rom Reid's third book, Tough Guy. In Season 1 of Heated Rivalry, Ryan is briefly mentioned by Ilya and Shane as a player who seems to get traded every season. Though physically built for hockey, Ryan is quieter and struggles to make friends — something Ilya notices, especially during a brief interaction they share on a turbulent flight, which plays out in the Heated Rivalry book but was cut from the series.

While there are certainly other characters that Heated Rivalry Season 2 could introduce — including Troy Barrett, Ilya's new teammate at Ottawa, who appears in his own novel, Role Model — Tierney reiterated in an interview with Collider that the show will always primarily be centered around Shane and Ilya's romance: "That will be its core, that will be its heartbeat, and we're not in danger of running out of story in the near future." With several more Game Changers books to adapt and characters to include, Heated Rivalry Season 2 is poised to be even bigger than the first, but at least it'll never lose sight of the romance that started it all.