Hot New (Gay) Hockey Series on CRAVE

[samhexum]

Awards season is officially heating up, with the GLAAD Media Awards nominating HBO Max's buzzy gay hockey drama "Heated Rivalry" for best new TV series. 

https://www.tvline.com/2069639/glaad-media-awards-2026-nominations-full-list-tv-nominees/

[d.anders]

Just heard that Connor and Hudson have been hired to present at the Golden Globes.

Edited Wednesday at 05:05 PM by d.anders

[MikeBiDude]

I don’t usually post IG/FB and other social media posts here…the links don’t always work, etc. But had to try this one:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSlrSgWCfdD/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

 

[Becket]

Can't wait to watch the whole thing. Hoping it will be on regular HBO soon. I'm trying not to splurge for the whole HBO max package just for one program. Seen a lot of it on Youtube, though I haven't run across any of the sexiest stuff yet. It looks wonderful.

[samhexum]

9 minutes ago, Becket said:

Can't wait to watch the whole thing.  It looks wonderful.

Even if I didn't know the dresser that was in a key scene I would highly recommend it and think you will love it.

[+ Gar1eth]

I read an article online.  And Francois Arnaud was joking around about how Robbie GK is a barista but  has the best physique of any of them. 

Edited Thursday at 07:48 AM by Gar1eth

[TonyDown]

Funny how fans are going over Heated Rivalry with a fine tooth comb. 

One thread I read debated why the show selected Beethoven for the scene with Ilya sitting in the tunnel on the phone speaking Russian to Shane.  It was Moonlight Sonata, for those interested.

That said, Heated Rivalry still sits at #1 on HBO Max today.

Lastly, I understand Connor and Hudson will appear together on The Golden Globes, this Sunday. 

 

They've Gone Hollywood!

 

Edited Thursday at 08:28 AM by TonyDown

[d.anders]

I did not hear about this one. Good for Hudson snagging the seat first. I thought he did very well for his first time on the couch.

Love how he talked about his "cock sack," and then said after a while they just let those things go. What fun for the crew.

Edited Thursday at 11:06 AM by d.anders

[+ Gar1eth]

8 hours ago, d.anders said:

I did not hear about this one. Good for Hudson snagging the seat first. I thought he did very well for his first time on the couch.

Love how he talked about his "cock sack," and then said after a while they just let those things go. What fun for the crew.

I saw a reel of this interview last night. I just found the entire segment on YouTube and am about to watch it. 

[+ EVdude]

On 1/7/2026 at 2:11 PM, MikeBiDude said:

I don’t usually post IG/FB and other social media posts here…the links don’t always work, etc.

Here’s the YouTube version…

 

[d.anders]

I wonder if anyone from CAA got their ass kicked for this fiasco. Social media is having a field day with this clip.

Janelle James was not having this competition for media attention, but in truth, the interviewer from ExtraTV (whatever that show is) is an asshole and a jerk. But it's not his fault that these two misfits were paired together to do press, when they clearly do not know one another, and each has his or her own media agenda. This was embarrassing, and Janelle and Connor did not deserve this PR fiasco. Someone at CAA fucked up.

 

[MikeBiDude]

26 minutes ago, d.anders said:

I wonder if anyone from CAA got their ass kicked for this fiasco. Social media is having a field day with this clip.

Janelle James was not having this competition for media attention, but in truth, the interviewer from ExtraTV (whatever that show is) is an asshole and a jerk. But it's not his fault that these two misfits were paired together to do press, when they clearly do not know one another, and each has his or her own media agenda. This was embarrassing, and Janelle and Connor did not deserve this PR fiasco. Someone at CAA fucked up.

 

I think you’re overreacting a bit…the clip didn’t seem that bad to me? And:

 

[dutchal]

3 hours ago, d.anders said:

I wonder if anyone from CAA got their ass kicked for this fiasco. Social media is having a field day with this clip.

Janelle James was not having this competition for media attention, but in truth, the interviewer from ExtraTV (whatever that show is) is an asshole and a jerk. But it's not his fault that these two misfits were paired together to do press, when they clearly do not know one another, and each has his or her own media agenda. This was embarrassing, and Janelle and Connor did not deserve this PR fiasco. Someone at CAA fucked up.

 

I fail to see the problem.   She tries so hard to be a mike hog that it makes him look like a gracious, good-natured gentleman.

[+ Gar1eth]

I can't believe how obsessed I've become with this show. But it is fading a bit.  I'm probably going to watch episode 6 again, and then hopefully put it by the wayside for awhile. 
 

But there had been things bothering me for Episodes 1 and 2. I had the impression that there were long intervals between their meetings. But I didn't see how even an fbud relationship could really sustain itself with so much time apart. But apparently it did. 
 

To help me I charted their meetings in Episodes 1 to 2. 
 

Here is my summary. I obviously have too much time on my hands. 
 

******************************************
 

 

Heated Rivalry 

 

Episode 1 Meetings

 

12/2008 International Prospect Cup  they are 17 and meet outside the rink. Russia wins the tournament.  

 

6/2009  MHL Draft Ilya is # 1 and Shane is # 2. They both wake up early and meet in the hotel gym. 

 

12/2009 --International Prospect Cup. Canada wins the tournament. 

 

Shane says, "See you in October". 

 

But the next title says 

 

@@@06/2010 which is long after October-Ilya and Shane are filming a commercial in Toronto. Ilya asked for Shane to be in the commercial with him. Later they are showering together. Shane has trouble looking away.  Ilya deliberately strokes himself. Shane says "F-off". But in the locker room they decide to meet

 

FIRST SEXUAL ENCOUNTER!!!

Ilya goes to Shane's hotel room.  

 

 

09/2010 Ilya is playing in Montreal. Shane gets the winning goal against Ilya. 

 

No sex 

 

@@@1/2011 All Star Game in Nashville. Shane breaks the shot accuracy competition that Ilya had just set. 

Shane goes to Ilya's hotel room. 

 

SECOND SEXUAL ENCOUNTER!!

 Ilya puts their names as Lily and Jane in each other's phone. 

 

 

1/2011 or 2/2011 Plans for third sexual encounter in Montreal  falls through due to snowstorm.  

 

# 5/2011 or 6/2011:  MHL Awards Banquet. Shane wins rookie of the year. Sees Ilya on the roof. He's upset that Ilya didn't watch him win the trophy. 

 

But Shane also says that this is the one time he's gotten anything over Ilya. That Ilya is always beating him. 

 

That doesn't make a lot of sense from what they've shown. Ilya was the #1 draft pick. But after that Shane  won the International Cup, after that he won the shot record, during the game following the shot  competition he won the goal after that, and his team beat Boston. So I'm not sure what else  Ilya did that actually surpassed Shane. 

 

Ilya's initially upset probably about going back to Russia. But he kisses Shane in public on the roof. Shane initially likes it. But then gets scared someone may see and takes off. 

 

So over 2-1/2 years they've had Clintonian Sex twice. But Shane has yet to bottom.  

 

End of Episode #1. 

 

Episode # 2

 

Summer 2011 Shane in Montreal and Ilya in Moscow texting 

 

Fall 2011 Their teams play a game. Possibly Montreal wins, but it doesn't say. 

 

**So Ilya texts Shane asking what there is for a lonely girl in Montreal to do. Shane doesn't answer back. 

 

Winter 2012

 

**Ilya texts Shane. Shane replies back, but they don't seem to have sex. 

 

Spring 2012 

 

Boston is in playoffs. Montreal isn't. They text. No sex. 

 

Fall 2012 -18 months since they had sex. Ilya texts Shane an address, but he doesn't go. 

 

Winter 2013 -24 months no sex. 

 

Spring 2013 -2 and a 1/4 years no sex but they do text 

 

Fall 2013 - 2 and 3/4 years since they had sex. Ilya texts Shane asking how many times he can come in an hour-but it's right before they play a game against each other. They sext. Initially Shane says they aren't meeting. But then Shane says after the game he'll text Ilya if he's lucky

 

Montreal wins, and Shane and Ilya meet at Shane's apartment. 

 

THIRD SEXUAL ENCOUNTER (finally!!)

 

Shane bottoms for the first time.  

 

Winter 2014 Sochi Olympics -no sex. Russia loses badly to Latvia.  Shane texts Ilya, but  Ilya doesn't answer back. 

 

Canada wins the Gold at the Olympics but they don't show it. 

 

Shane sees Ilya at men's ice skating event.  But Ilya is upset and barely talks to Shane. Ilya says they aren't anything to each other. 

 

Spring 2014 -Shane and team watch Boston win the cup. 

 

Shane seems to maybe give a slight smile at watching Ilya hoist the cup. 

 

Summer 2014- End of year major league hockey banquet. Shane and Ilya are presenting an award together. They both look really nice in their tuxedos. 

 

After the award Shane goes to the bathroom. Ilya comes in. Shane is upset and says Ilya hasn't responded to a text in 6 months. He doesn't know what Ilya wants. Shane is furious but heartbroken that Ilya  has been ignoring him. 

 

But they make up and meet later that evening in Ilya's hotel room. 

 

SEXUAL ENCOUNTER #4

 

But the interaction is pretty much mechanical-no affection shown. Ilya seems unhappy -possibly about going home to Russia for the summer. 

 

Shane is upset afterwards that it was a purely physical encounter with no real emotional connection. 

 

The episode ends with Shane realizing -and not liking-his emotional attachment to Ilya. 

*********************************
 

So the things that seem funny to me 

 

1. In Episode # 1 they have "Clintonian" sex twice in 2-1/2 years of knowing each other.

2.  They were going to meet for sex a third time. But there was a blizzard in Montreal, and the game was canceled  

 

3.  Several months later at the annual hockey awards banquet Shane finds Ilya on the roof.   He's upset that Ilya ditched seeing Shane win Rooky of the Year. He says basically that Ilya is always surpassing him. And the one time he (Shane) wins over Ilya, Ilya isn't even there to support him  

But here's something I don't understand. It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense from what they've shown.

 

Ilya was the #1 draft pick. But after that Shane  

1. Won the International Cup

2.  After that during the playing season, he won the shot record

3. During the game following the shot  competition,  Shane  won the goal.

3. And Shane's team beat Boston.
 

So I'm not sure what exactly Ilya did other than Russia beating Canada in the first International Junior Prospect Tournament and being the # 1 draft pick that actually surpassed Shane. 

 

4. Another thing that  bothers me. In Episode #2 they text each other  for around 2-3/4 years. But Shane consistently rejects meeting Ilya before he finally consents to having sex again. 
 

5. And then after the Olympics -this time it's Ilya who doesn't want to meet for some reason. Ilya ignores Shane's texts for 6 months. When they finally do have sex, it's pretty much devoid of emotional content. And afterwards neither one looks particularly happy. 
 

Shane looks like he's beginning to realize how much he cares for Ilya.  But that could also be inferred by how upset he was at Ilya's failure to respond to him for 6 months. 
 

I'm not entirely sure what's going thru Ilya's mind except he didn't have sex with his boyhood pal in Moscow. We don't know if that's due to his feelings for Shane or something else. 
 

I'd love to hear people's comments on the points I've made. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Gar1eth

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, Gar1eth said:

I'd love to hear people's comments on the points I've made. 

nothing about the dresser in this scene?!?!?  it's all I can see.

[+ Gar1eth]

Sigh -I haven't watched Episode 6 again.   I will. But as I've said before, every time the scene where Shane and his mother are hugging comes up and  Shane says, "I tried," meaning he tried to be straight -it brings up memories from 13 years ago for me. Even recalling it without it being in front of me, it  chokes me up.  How many times did I say that to myself-if only I could ...

How many times did I not say anything because while on one hand I was sure my mother wouldn't reject me-but what if she did? And even when I did somewhat come out-I still had to get my sister to tell her, because I couldn't face up to it. 
 

Since then we don't talk about me being gay very often. She knows my one main (platonic) friend is gay and likes him quite a lot as do my brother and sister-in-law. And I've frequently told my Mom when I go on an occasional date.

 

I'm not sure how things would go if I  were ever lucky enough to have an actual 'boyfriend.'  I think my Mom would be ok once getting used to the idea-or if not quite able to manage that -still would be gracious for my sake. I think my siblings would be ok. I'm not quite sure how a very conservative niece-in-law would take it which might bar me from family gatherings at my nephew's house  and my brother's house (it's his daughter-in-law). But the chance of me getting a boyfriend will most likely occur at the same time pigs and donkeys start flying, so it looks like I'll be welcome at most family gatherings for years to come. 

[samhexum]

42 minutes ago, Gar1eth said:

How many times did I not say anything because while on one hand I was sure my mother wouldn't reject me-but what if she did? And even when I did somewhat come out-I still had to get my sister to tell her, because I couldn't face up to it. 

My mom was fine about it considering I spat it out at her during an argument spurred by the joyous family dynamic of my teens. 

But, be it irony or kismet, the mother of the roommate who owned that dresser and I used to talk a lot about actors we found sexy.  We were close.  We definitely agreed about Detective Stabler and a few others.  I know my mom liked Sam Waterston from his L & O days (although she called him Sam Wanamaker from Law & Order when she told me).