Hot New (Gay) Hockey Series on CRAVE

[+ SirBillybob]

2 hours ago, dutchal said:

Ooops.  Fixed it.  In the interview, the interviewer keeps calling Episode 3 the "Skipisode", presumably Scott + Kip = Skip, and it got stuck in my head.  But there's an also play on words there because the episode interrupts the Ilya-Shane story, i.e., their story "skips" en episode.

And there are skips in curling and curling occurs on ice with stones tapping one another and they sweep in curling and the show is disqualified for awards sweeps and Ilya has curly hair but Shane may or may not use a straightening iron and rosebud subs for Rose and when Consuelo was asked her opinion about its future she does not want the series discontinued  😅… … 

If we weren’t sure, there are no further imminent episodes but let’s do keep the convo alive 😏

Edited December 31, 2025 by SirBillybob

[dutchal]

It has become a cultural phenomenon:  

https://deadline.com/2026/01/heated-rivalry-author-star-react-andy-cohen-anderson-cooper-1236659717/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/andy-cohen-anderson-cooper-heated-rivalry-new-years-eve-cnn-1236462267/

 

[+ Gar1eth]

5 hours ago, dutchal said:

It has become a cultural phenomenon:  

https://deadline.com/2026/01/heated-rivalry-author-star-react-andy-cohen-anderson-cooper-1236659717/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/andy-cohen-anderson-cooper-heated-rivalry-new-years-eve-cnn-1236462267/

 

I remember when (American)  Queer As Folk premiered, it was all the rage back then-groundbreaking for its depiction of gay sex.  But it was nothing like this. Of course the internet while also  big was nothing like it is today.( I'm assuming the British QAF was groundbreaking in the UK, but things didn't crossover the way they do today. So it didn't make that much of a splash stateside.). 
 

 

Queer As Folk Ran So Heated Rivalry Could Skate

EXILEDFAN.SUBSTACK.COM

---

Queer television 25 years apart: what changed, and what stayed the same?

 

I've been looking at a lot of YouTube interviews with the actors and the showrunner. I didn't realize until the interview that Shane and Ilya are only about  17 when they first meet at the exhibition game. And  I think the 1st exhibition game  is supposed to be a year before they go thru the draft and join the MHL (=NHL).  
 

I wonder  how old on average  new hockey recruits are at the time of the NHL Draft, and what percentage stay with the major club and aren't sent down to the minors for seasoning. 
 

Edited Friday at 08:22 PM by Gar1eth

[Callas]

On 12/6/2025 at 11:37 AM, d.anders said:

She's all over YouTube. She's not what I expected.

I decided I did not enjoy Episode 3. I absolutely love Francois Arnaud, especially when he came out as bisexual. At least I read that somewhere. IMO, he's a major star, or deserves to be treated like one. I did not like the "let's cram everything into one episode" approach for this special actor. I also thought this fantasy side story was too limp and too cliche. What famous, wealthy hockey star is going to instantly fall in love with some minimum wage barista? I don't care how cute the service guy might be (I think Francois is much hotter), the story just screams stereotype, and bad, unbelievable cheese.

I guess I don't mind there being a third closeted gay man on the team, but in reality, how possible is this? It's way too soon for this show to jump the shark.

If there is a third gay on the team, and he happens to be Francois Arnaud, I can think of so many deeper and more intricate ways to tell that story. This one seemed too much like girlie teenage bubblegum.

love is unreasonable. it’s not math or quantitative analysis. I like how simple their story is.

[Callas]

On 12/18/2025 at 5:18 PM, purplekow said:

Because so many have dated gay men

 

Because they can have both male leads instead of being jealous of the female lead 😈

[Callas]

On 12/20/2025 at 12:41 PM, Gar1eth said:

From The Onion:

 

 

Hockey Players Blast ‘Heated Rivalry’ For Unrealistic Depiction Of Anal Sex 

‘When We Fuck Each Other, That’s Not How It Goes Down,’ Say NHL Athletes

 

Published:

December 19, 2025

TORONTO—Accusing the HBO drama of egregiously misrepresenting their experiences off the ice, the National Hockey League Players’ Association blasted Heated RivalryFriday for what it described as incredibly unrealistic depictions of anal sex between players. “The show’s portrayals of hockey players having sex with each other are wildly misinformed, and we are disappointed by the producers’ utter failure to accurately represent what we do to each other behind locker room doors on a daily basis,” read a statement cosigned by each of the NHLPA’s more than 750 active players, adding that the series’ glitzy, overwrought lovemaking scenes miss the mark on even the most basic details regarding the day-in, day-out sexual encounters that define their lives between games. “Yes, it’s true that we as professional hockey players spend the majority of our free time cramming our cocks into each other’s hot, hungry assholes—the show gets that right. But beyond that, every instance of anal sex you see on screen is pure fiction. It’s clear they didn’t bother consulting any actual hockey players, as the butt-fucking on the show could not be further from what really occurs.” The statement went on to say that while the show’s anal sex scenes are “ludicrous,” its depictions of oral sex between hockey players are pretty much spot-on.

Really? I thought their anal sex was good. Maybe the characters were making love, and those players were just having sex? 🤔

[Callas]

On 12/21/2025 at 1:11 AM, Manhattan said:

I support people making and watching whatever content they want, but something being popular does not make it good. 
A friend recommended it and asked that I watch at least four episodes. 
The acting from the two leads is embarrassingly bad. 
The writing is incredibly stupid.
The sex scenes are hardly revolutionary. 
It reminds me of Showtime after dark. Softcore for a female audience. 
Boring. 
My friend has no taste. 

don’t analyze too much. Just enjoy it with your soul. Feel it. It’s a better way to enjoy arts.

the actors acted very well, and the story is very sweet and cute.

art does not always have to be complexed and deeply deep… sometimes a simple sweet authentic story is enough.

 

and it’s subjective. So HR may not be ur type, but you are missing out 🥹

[Callas]

On 12/21/2025 at 8:36 AM, d.anders said:

There is an abundance of proof. Even with 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, All's Fair is raking in over 3-million viewers (great, by today's standards), and got renewed for a second season. In TV, "good" is always subjective.

The story is based on a series of popular romance novels, which usually means "low quality fare" by default. This isn't Paddy Chayefsky. The show's creator, Jacob Tierney, continually says in interviews how surprised he is by viewer reactions.

There is something unique going on here, and it's called a certain style of magic. Magic is rarely easy to achieve in the arts, but this show is having its moment. I see no harm at all in celebrating that, especially when the main characters are gay men in professional sports.

It connects with the audience. Viewers are rooting for the characters’ relationships. Viewers are invested heavily emotionally. That’s the magic  of “good” storytelling. 
 

it’s not something we can “objectively” quantify / analyze. 

[Callas]

On 12/24/2025 at 2:56 PM, d.anders said:

I guess I'm a little worried about oversaturation, and the too-fast, all-consuming publicity grab. I realize as actors you have to strike when the iron is hot, but these guys are everywhere, all-the-time, responding to the most inane interviewers, and being asked the most ridiculous questions. Enough already. Be careful what you wish for.

Apparently, backlash has already started because Connor Storrie refuses to answer questions about his private sexual preferences, and Kit Connor from Heartstopper has already spoken out about it, given what happened to him in social media.

From mad, obsessive love usually comes hate. America's infatuation with pop stuff can change on a dime. I wish these guy's handlers would cut back a bit on the social media shithole.

Maybe it's just me.

yeah, im afraid it may be the case. Not everyone can be rational and understand the actors were portraying characters, not their lives. 
 

but i guess fame has consequences 🥺 hope they manage it well.

[Callas]

On 12/27/2025 at 2:35 PM, samhexum said:

There's been a lot of "give them all the Emmys!" chatter on social media, but since "Heated Rivalry" is a Canadian production, it's sadly ineligible for consideration. 

TVLine's Performers Of The Week: Connor Storrie And Hudson Williams - TVLine

WWW.TVLINE.COM

---

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were incredible as Shane and Ilya got closer in the Heated Rivalry finale — see why they're...

 

 

i just don’t understand the issue with Emmy & fans. Who care! The series and fans’ love are the rewards. 
 

some Emmys would be sweet, but it doesn’t matter. I hope HR fans forget the Emmy soon.

Edited Sunday at 04:13 AM by Callas

[Manhattan]

4 hours ago, Callas said:

don’t analyze too much. Just enjoy it with your soul. Feel it. It’s a better way to enjoy arts.

the actors acted very well, and the story is very sweet and cute.

art does not always have to be complexed and deeply deep… sometimes a simple sweet authentic story is enough.

 

and it’s subjective. So HR may not be ur type, but you are missing out 🥹

I don't believe that human beings have souls, so enjoying it that way is not a possibility. 

All I have is a brain, eyes, and ears to evaluate what I'm watching. What is see and hear is lazy storytelling, bad acting, and predictable writing. 

Gay men used to be known for their excellent taste in fashion and culture. The popularity of shows like this let me know that we are losing our edge. 

I'll keep speaking the truth regardless of what I'm supposed to think. 

[+ Gar1eth]

2 hours ago, Manhattan said:

I don't believe that human beings have souls, so enjoying it that way is not a possibility. 

All I have is a brain, eyes, and ears to evaluate what I'm watching. What is see and hear is lazy storytelling, bad acting, and predictable writing. 

Gay men used to be known for their excellent taste in fashion and culture. The popularity of shows like this let me know that we are losing our edge. 

I'll keep speaking the truth regardless of what I'm supposed to think. 

In this case it's not just gay men enjoying it but straight women, and I've even heard there are some YouTube or podcasts by straight hockey fans that really like it. 
 

I'm not sure what you were expecting, but you seem to be in the minority regarding your feelings about Heated Rivalry. This is a fantasy romance. As I said in my previous post to you, it's not Shakespeare -nor is it designed to be. It's pure escapist fare with the purpose of  (I've just heard several Youtube videos on this ) having a happy ending.  Possibly it's that you aren't a fan of this genre. 
 

Your dislike however is totally fine. As a departed friend of mine often said, "De gustibus non disputandum est". There are many things that are part of the cultural zeitgeist that I'm not particularly fond of either. I don't know how you feel about the show "LA Stories."  I took a gander at it because one of the stars made some disparaging remarks about "Heated Rivalry. ". I understand it's reasonably popular. I watched about 10 minutes of the  1st episode and didn't like it at all. The characters seems too "LA" for me-if a majority of people  in LA are really like this, I don't think I'd have much in common with them even if I were their age -and I thought the gay character was both  too stereotypically LA and too stereotypically gay. 
 

I  also disagree with your opinion on the acting-especially the two leads. I think they are great. But again your opinion is totally valid even if you're in a relative minority. 

[+ purplekow]

3 hours ago, Manhattan said:

I don't believe that human beings have souls, so enjoying it that way is not a possibility. 

All I have is a brain, eyes, and ears to evaluate what I'm watching. What is see and hear is lazy storytelling, bad acting, and predictable writing. 

Gay men used to be known for their excellent taste in fashion and culture. The popularity of shows like this let me know that we are losing our edge. 

I'll keep speaking the truth regardless of what I'm supposed to think. 

There is no truth in opinion. You may certainly speak what is true for your taste.  Assuming yours is the quintessential standard for taste is...well...in bad taste in my opinion.  

[+ Gar1eth]

10 hours ago, Manhattan said:

I don't believe that human beings have souls, so enjoying it that way is not a possibility. 

All I have is a brain, eyes, and ears to evaluate what I'm watching. What is see and hear is lazy storytelling, bad acting, and predictable writing. 

Gay men used to be known for their excellent taste in fashion and culture. The popularity of shows like this let me know that we are losing our edge. 

I'll keep speaking the truth regardless of what I'm supposed to think. 

 

7 hours ago, Gar1eth said:

In this case it's not just gay men enjoying it but straight women, and I've even heard there are some YouTube or podcasts by straight hockey fans that really like it. 
 

I'm not sure what you were expecting, but you seem to be in the minority regarding your feelings about Heated Rivalry. This is a fantasy romance. As I said in my previous post to you, it's not Shakespeare -nor is it designed to be. It's pure escapist fare with the purpose of  (I've just heard several Youtube videos on this ) having a happy ending.  Possibly it's that you aren't a fan of this genre. 
 

Your dislike however is totally fine. As a departed friend of mine often said, "De gustibus non disputandum est". There are many things that are part of the cultural zeitgeist that I'm not particularly fond of either. I don't know how you feel about the show "LA Stories."  I took a gander at it because one of the stars made some disparaging remarks about "Heated Rivalry. ". I understand it's reasonably popular. I watched about 10 minutes of the  1st episode and didn't like it at all. The characters seems too "LA" for me-if a majority of people  in LA are really like this, I don't think I'd have much in common with them even if I were their age -and I thought the gay character was both  too stereotypically LA and too stereotypically gay. 
 

I  also disagree with your opinion on the acting-especially the two leads. I think they are great. But again your opinion is totally valid even if you're in a relative minority. 

PS: As a gay male I'm also supposed to like opera, but it's not my cup of tea. 

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, Gar1eth said:

PS: As a gay male I'm also supposed to like opera, but it's not my cup of tea. 

At least that's better than being a British man who says tea is not his cup of opera.

[handiacefailure]

I really want to read the books now

[+ FrankR]

19 hours ago, Manhattan said:

I don't believe that human beings have souls, so enjoying it that way is not a possibility. 

All I have is a brain, eyes, and ears to evaluate what I'm watching. What is see and hear is lazy storytelling, bad acting, and predictable writing. 

Gay men used to be known for their excellent taste in fashion and culture. The popularity of shows like this let me know that we are losing our edge. 

I'll keep speaking the truth regardless of what I'm supposed to think. 

You must be fun at parties. Do you travel with your own storm clouds?  🌧️Sorry to hear that you are losing your edge - perhaps consider a juice cleanse?  

[+ FrankR]

3 hours ago, handiacefailure said:

I really want to read the books now

When I borrowed the first book in the series from my home town library (e-book) many years ago, there was no wait time. Now…you will wait weeks! 😄

[Manhattan]

42 minutes ago, FrankR said:

You must be fun at parties. Do you travel with your own storm clouds?  🌧️Sorry to hear that you are losing your edge - perhaps consider a juice cleanse?  

I have not criticized any member. - only the show. Why do you feel the need to criticize me personally? I'm not allowed to post?

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, FrankR said:

Sorry to hear that you are losing your edge 

 

[+ FrankR]

2 hours ago, Manhattan said:

I have not criticized any member. - only the show. Why do you feel the need to criticize me personally? I'm not allowed to post?

You are welcome to post and to share your opinion. Clearly we enjoy it since we respond to it. I reserve the right to do the same. 
 

Returning to the topic - I believe there are 6 books in the series; perhaps now that the show has made a name for itself, it will secure more funding and will improve as additional seasons explore other story lines and additional crew.

[+ FrankR]

1 hour ago, samhexum said:

 

Thank you - still working on my new years resolutions. 😉

[samhexum]

Did you ever watch something and recognize someone you knew a long time ago in the background?

Well, I've been rewatching the show (obsessively) and noticed that in the big scene in Ilya's room in episode five when Shane tells Ilya that he's gay and likes him too much, that the dresser upon which the TV is perched is the exact same one my former roommate had had for years when I moved in with her in 1987.  Nice to see that they put the MHL All Stars up in luxury accommodations with modern furniture.

That same roommate was known for her famous furnishings. A dolphin print that she brought home from a trip to visit family (that I hated from the moment I saw it) was on the back wall of a college lab in an old episode of Law and order.

Edited Monday at 02:08 PM by samhexum
but God only knows why!

[d.anders]

Just heard that Connor Storrie is going to be a guest on Seth Myers Jan 12.