Hot New (Gay) Hockey Series on CRAVE

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, Rod Hagen said:

:-) Did you watch the videos I posted of Connor Storrie as a kxx?  I love his energy.

 

[+ Gar1eth]

I just screenshotted this from the People App. It's Hudson Williams at the Golden Globes. I'm not saying he isn't handsome here. 

But I'm actually more attracted to him in his Shane Hollander guise (minus the picture with the submissive collar on). The earrings in the above photo just don't do it for me. But as I've said before, I  don't like jewelry in general. Watches detract from a man's hotness for me too (a holdover from when I was young).
 

Edited Sunday at 11:52 PM by Gar1eth

[TonyDown]

E! On the Red Carpet just gave a nice view of Connor on the red carpet, looking quite handsome in his formal wear.  Perhaps he'll cycle towards the interviewer, otherwise they're just throwing us a bone.

 

 

Connor Storrie Accessorizes with Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock Brooch at the 2026 Golden Globes

WWW.TOWNANDCOUNTRYMAG.COM

---

The 25-year-old actor is having a major breakout moment.

 

[Luv2play]

I think he fits right in with the glitterati at a Golden Globes event in Hollywood. Let’s not carp about details of his appearance. He is a very fine looking young man. And he should enjoy his time in the limelight. 

[Luv2play]

I guess am speaking about the two now. It must be mind bending how quickly they have become stars. I hope they have the internal fortitude to weather the adulation of the fans and all the hangers on in Hollywood who would just be as happy to see them fail. It’s a cruel world for losers. So far they appear to be winners. 

[Rod Hagen]

6 hours ago, Luv2play said:

I guess am speaking about the two now. It must be mind bending how quickly they have become stars. I hope they have the internal fortitude to weather the adulation of the fans and all the hangers on in Hollywood who would just be as happy to see them fail. It’s a cruel world for losers. So far they appear to be winners. 

Hudson (and later Conner) With Gayle King:  Hudson:  "and jizzin' "  lol 

 

Edited Monday at 06:18 AM by Rod Hagen

[Rod Hagen]

On 12/20/2025 at 11:33 AM, Gar1eth said:

Queer as Folk...I don't think they showed much.

 

First ep. they showed/simulated rimming.  In 2000.  Two years earlier they did just that on British QAF and it was then on US PBS!

Edited Monday at 06:44 AM by Rod Hagen

[Luv2play]

1 hour ago, Rod Hagen said:

First ep. they showed/simulated rimming.  In 2000.  Two years earlier they did just that on British QAF and it was then on US PBS!

I remember 2000 as being a very raunchy time. In a way more so than now. The religious right picked up steam after that and influenced a turn to the right.

[TonyDown]

By now, from what I've read this weekend, it's not only queer people and M/M spicy romance novel fans watching Heated Rivalry on HBOmax and Crave, there are straight guys watching, lots of them.  Between Youtube vlogs and REDDIT posts, many straight guys seem to be watching with their girlfriends, wives and buddies.  

All the Things She Said is now mainstream music at hockey rinks.

 

From Vromans' bookstore in Pasadena

, 

.....and NYT today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 10:39 AM by TonyDown

[BSR]

3 hours ago, TonyDown said:

By now, from what I've read this weekend, it's not only queer people and M/M spicy romance novel fans watching Heated Rivalry on HBOmax and Crave, there are straight guys watching, lots of them.  Between Youtube vlogs and REDDIT posts, many straight guys seem to be watching with their girlfriends, wives and buddies.  

A lot of guys watch rom-coms too, not because they like the genre but because their wives/girlfriends drag them into it.  I’m curious, are the straight guys chattering on social media actually into the M/M spicy romance?  Watching Heated Rivalry because your wife/girlfriend insists and you’re just keeping her company is one thing; actually getting all wrapped up in a guy-on-guy love story with lots of steamy sex is quite another.  I’m having difficulty picturing the latter.

[Rod Hagen]

Re Golden Globes, This showed up on my Tumblr this morning. :-)

 

 

[TonyDown]

4 hours ago, BSR said:

A lot of guys watch rom-coms too, not because they like the genre but because their wives/girlfriends drag them into it.  I’m curious, are the straight guys chattering on social media actually into the M/M spicy romance?  Watching Heated Rivalry because your wife/girlfriend insists and you’re just keeping her company is one thing; actually getting all wrapped up in a guy-on-guy love story with lots of steamy sex is quite another.  I’m having difficulty picturing the latter.

For example, on REDDIT, after a post claimed gay men and women are watching, several fans posted they were straight men and some mentioned watching with a wife or girlfriend.

On YouTube, these straight guys are talking about Heated Rivalry, how good episode 5 is, and how everyone is watching Heated Rivalry.

 

[Luv2play]

4 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Re Golden Globes, This showed up on my Tumblr this morning. 🙂

 

 

This portrayal of the two actors looks wrong. If anything Storrie is a bit shorter than Williams, no?

[MikeBiDude]

46 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

This portrayal of the two actors looks wrong. If anything Storrie is a bit shorter than Williams, no?

 

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, TonyDown said:

On YouTube, these straight guys are talking about Heated Rivalry, how good episode 5 is, and how everyone is watching Heated Rivalry.

I am glad they mentioned the two pet peeves I have about that otherwise brilliant episode, Rose's nonchalance with the speakerphone and Shane getting himself hurt by idiotically turning to smile at his opponent, though that allowed us to see the fear on Ilya's face as he saw the hit about to happen.

[+ jeezopete]

[MikeBiDude]

3 hours ago, jeezopete said:

 

 

[Callas]

On 1/4/2026 at 5:04 AM, 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. 

No, his opinion is not valid. Anyone with some sense for arts / love / life could at least appreciate the show. I can objectively say so 😈

[Callas]

On 1/9/2026 at 4:30 PM, Gar1eth said:

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. 

after sexual encounter #4, Shane was not upset, but more disappointed and sad IMO. He wanted some emotional confirmation from Ilya, a goodbye kiss or hug?

he looked so sad as he left the hotel 🥺

[samhexum]

 

[Callas]

On 1/11/2026 at 12:14 PM, Rod Hagen said:

Just finished the show last night.  It's really dumb.  I hate that I liked it so much. 🙂 I'm excited for season 2....some day.   I'm annoyed that I think about the show as much as I do.

Thoughts:  Why do hockey players come so fast?  I feel like that's the start of a joke, but really every sex scene was that feels good..I'm coming!

Llya was too mean to his old Russian bf, Sergei (?)  Were I the writer I would have put Serfgei on the table at the Funeral (not a spoiler) and Llya could have silently acknowledged him, as a kind of weak apology.  Oh well.

they were not BF. Just hook up i believe.

i don’t like perfect characters. Humans make mistakes, so it makes Ilya more human as he behaved that way toward a past hook-up he doesn’t want to be associated with now. Ilya is not an angel, and I like it 😈

[Callas]

On 1/11/2026 at 6:50 PM, Gar1eth said:

I just screenshotted this from the People App. It's Hudson Williams at the Golden Globes. I'm not saying he isn't handsome here. 

But I'm actually more attracted to him in his Shane Hollander guise (minus the picture with the submissive collar on). The earrings in the above photo just don't do it for me. But as I've said before, I  don't like jewelry in general. Watches detract from a man's hotness for me too (a holdover from when I was young).
 

i like Shane’s look in the show too. It fits him well.  An angel IMO.

but i also like Hudson’s look. It fits his personality. He has a darker / evil side in him that I really like. The silky shirt & accessories fit his inner bad boy vibe well.

Edited Tuesday at 03:02 AM by Callas

[Callas]

On 1/11/2026 at 6:56 PM, TonyDown said:

E! On the Red Carpet just gave a nice view of Connor on the red carpet, looking quite handsome in his formal wear.  Perhaps he'll cycle towards the interviewer, otherwise they're just throwing us a bone.

 

 

Connor Storrie Accessorizes with Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock Brooch at the 2026 Golden Globes

WWW.TOWNANDCOUNTRYMAG.COM

---

The 25-year-old actor is having a major breakout moment.

 

The hair looks bad IMO. 

[Callas]

On 1/11/2026 at 7:06 PM, Luv2play said:

I guess am speaking about the two now. It must be mind bending how quickly they have become stars. I hope they have the internal fortitude to weather the adulation of the fans and all the hangers on in Hollywood who would just be as happy to see them fail. It’s a cruel world for losers. So far they appear to be winners. 

life is full of up and down. I hope they just embrace the moment. Enjoy it.

 

if they fail, all the better. It gives them real life experience to portrait more complexed characters in the future. 

[Callas]

21 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Hudson (and later Conner) With Gayle King:  Hudson:  "and jizzin' "  lol 

 

Hudson has the IQ EQ & charisma as a foundation for a superstar. I can’t wait to follow his journey and celebrate along the way 🥹☺️