Hot New (Gay) Hockey Series on CRAVE

[+ EVdude]

7 hours ago, SirBillybob said:

Honest Ed’s?! re: prime rib above?

Honest Ed’s… Holy cheap drunk Batman! Remember them mashedtaters and peas very well back in the early 90s on King St in TO, but it was the $2 Manhattans that made for a quarterly lunch of no return. Alas, no Hudson or Connor types serving!

[Luv2play]

5 hours ago, riowanderer said:

They also had to computer erase some of the English graffiti on the "Russian" tunnel walls!:) 

 

God it looks like a vagina. lol

[samhexum]

19 hours ago, samhexum said:

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman binged it in one night.

A couple of people laughed at this.  It wasn't a joke.

[TonyDown]

On 1/15/2026 at 11:41 AM, d.anders said:

Jacob Tierney was so smart to go with Crave. America production doesn't have the balls to do justice to Rachel Reid's work.

Friends in show business tell me that new execs at HBO have turned anti-gay. It seems like a miracle that HBO had the nerve to buy in. I hope this success is promising for the future.

What did your friends mean by new execs?   I read they had laid off execs.

Casey Bloys has been at HBO for years.  They have consistently programmed a lot of gay content and gay characters during his time.  

HBO has been a major supporter of the OutFest film festival for years and most recently was the presenting  sponsor at OutFest Next event last Fall.

Since then they decided to stream Heated Rivalry.   Whoever made that happen at HBO Max is getting some attention.  Casey Bloys has publicly celebrated Heated Rivalry's success.

https://www.wbd.com/leadership/casey-bloys

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:53 AM by TonyDown

[riowanderer]

2 hours ago, EVdude said:

Honest Ed’s… Holy cheap drunk Batman! Remember them mashedtaters and peas very well back in the early 90s on King St in TO, but it was the $2 Manhattans that made for a quarterly lunch of no return. Alas, no Hudson or Connor types serving!

My parents took all my brothers there for dinner on certain birthdays  in the mid-1970's!:) waiters in tuxedos, plates of dill pickles to start, loved the fresh rolls and of course the different size cuts of prime rib which Ed had shipped in from various cities by train every day with Union Station being so close to the downtown theatre district. I also remember everyone having to wear a jacket, no exceptions > and all the various curios which decorated the restaurant, including tons of Hollywood celebs who appeared at the next-door Royal Alexander Theatre!:)

Edited yesterday at 01:42 AM by riowanderer

[riowanderer]

1 hour ago, samhexum said:

A couple of people laughed at this.  It wasn't a joke.

LOL > he's in a delicate spot here!:) On the one hand, the smash-hit series has raised the global profile and interest in pro hockey significantly which is a good thing! On the other hand, a considerable portion of the NHL fandom is young kids who obviously shouldn't be viewing certain sexxy-time scenes of this show, whether gay or straight content!:) It will be interesting how the NHL executive reacts to S2 which includes an unflattering "MHL Commissioner" who is a major homophobic old-school dude uttering thinly veiled threats to Shane and IIya to keep their romance strictly private

[+ Gar1eth]

4 hours ago, riowanderer said:

But it would be a stretch to say that Crave Canada + Jacob Tierney never thought this wouldn't find at least some degree of success based on the built-in audience for the popular book series, much like the previous "Pure Queer Joy" genre massive success of low-budget / newbie actor "Heartstopper"!:)

 Even so, do you think they imagined it would be this big? I mean for the most part I'm not into gay romance books.  Although to be totally honest, I have read some in the fantasy genre. But they definitely aren't my first choice. And I had never heard of this book series before the miniseries came out.

 

I'm sure there are a lot of people like me who previously knew nothing about the Game Changer Universe. And yet it's caught me. I'm about to read "My Dinner With Hayden" for a second time. 

[riowanderer]

50 minutes ago, Gar1eth said:

 Even so, do you think they imagined it would be this big? I mean for the most part I'm not into gay romance books.  Although to be totally honest, I have read some in the fantasy genre. But they definitely aren't my first choice. And I had never heard of this book series before the miniseries came out.

 

I'm sure there are a lot of people like me who previously knew nothing about the Game Changer Universe. And yet it's caught me. I'm about to read "My Dinner With Hayden" for a second time. 

Totally agree! No-one could've predicted just how massively this series would hit > similar to low-budget, newbie star "Heartstopper" which kicked off this entire long overdue, wildly successful "Pure Queer Joy" new genre! My point was only to say that several streamers and the producers thought this could be a potentially successful series, made on a similarly small budget with two newbie lead actors on a very tight shooting schedule

Edited yesterday at 02:56 AM by riowanderer

[Rod Hagen]

On 1/15/2026 at 6:39 PM, Luv2play said:

Well I looked it up and I take it from you he worked in Vancouver, not Toronto. I was living in Toronto in 1971 when the restaurant opened downtown and I might have gone once but it wasn’t a memorable meal. 
I either forgot or never knew that the Vancouver location had opened the year prior. But the original restaurant by that name was in Portland, not Vancouver, from what I have just now read. 

Makes sense, he went to an arts school in Vancouver, I forget the name, where he studied acting.  There's a Youtube Video of him talking to them.  I don't have the link anymore, sorry (as they say in Canada).

[Rod Hagen]

18 hours ago, d.anders said:

This from publicist Waylon Tate:

 

According to this guy, what Connor Storrie wore to, and then at, that (excellent) Seth Meyers interview cost $60k (retail). 

 

[+ Gar1eth]

3 hours ago, riowanderer said:

No-one could've predicted just how massively this series would hit > similar to low-budget, newbie star "Heartstopper" which kicked off this entire long overdue, wildly successful "Pure Queer Joy" new genre!

And just as an aside -I don't think I had ever heard of the  "Heartstopper" series until I started reading "Heated Rivalry" reviews. If I had heard of it, it certainly didn't make an impression that I should watch it. 
 

Change of Subject -Episode 6- Spoilers, so I'll scroll down. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

1. When Ilya arrives at the cottage, they both say they haven't been with anyone in months. 
 

A) I'm sure-esp considering how young they are -they've been 'pleasuring' themselves. I really doubt they've gone 2 months or more without release. Still I guess I can see how they can still be horny for companionship. Sex when you're  alone is often different than sex with a partner. 
 

B) But that brings up another point. In the show, Shane is never shown to have any encounters with other men. But his response to Ilya in the cottage about not being with someone since the last time they were together, and a remark at his parents' place  about only being in love once with Ilya still kinda sounds to me like he's had experiences with men outside Ilya. 
 

Can anyone who's read the books comment on whether Shane has ever had sex with men who aren't Ilya?

Edited yesterday at 06:32 AM by Gar1eth

[+ SirBillybob]

The book characters are all real, non-fiction people and they didn’t just jump off the pages of novels. So you cannot just fill in information gaps according to your personal whims or confabulation.😏 All of the questions are ultimately important and one hopes all answers are forthcoming. 

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, Gar1eth said:

Episode 6- Spoilers, so I'll scroll down. 

You really should go back through this thread before you post.  You bring up things that were already mentioned.

And according to the conversation he had with Rose he had been jerking off whilst recuperating at his parents' house, though that was possibly a joke.

[+ Gar1eth]

14 hours ago, samhexum said:

And I know there is much more detail about Ilya's family in the books, but how does his brother know that he is gay and if the answer is that it is from some kind of secretive police spying on the affair he had with his coach's son wouldn't Ilya have wound up even more secretive and guarded than he is?

Does Alexei actually know that Ilya has had sex with men-or does he just dislike Ilya-and is calling him gay as an insult without realizing that Ilya really is bisexual?

[TonyDown]

I paid more attention during epi 4 re-watch and noticed Miles is hot. ❤️  

He has a thing for Shane.   

All the Things She Said is so perfect for that disco scene.  I see the official music video on YouTube has over 500,000,000 views, while there are many other versions, mixes and covers with millions and millions of views. 

Is it ironic that song was written and performed by Russian artists, yet Heated Rivalry is banned there while same sex affection is punishable?  The song itself evokes F/F love which fits the show's theme.

Official Music Video, 502,000,000 views.

Performed on Swedish TV over 20 years ago.

Cover by Kelly Clarkson

Original Music Video in Russian

 

Edited 19 hours ago by TonyDown

[d.anders]

10 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

According to this guy, what Connor Storrie wore to, and then at, that (excellent) Seth Meyers interview cost $60k (retail).

I'm sure professional stylists are throwing very expensive clothes at the boys. Those are guaranteed eyeballs, and what designer doesn't want that kind of publicity?

3 hours ago, TonyDown said:

All the Things She Said is so perfect for that disco scene.

I agree, but the song is really getting on my nerves. Oversaturation with pop-music can be a killer.

9 hours ago, Gar1eth said:

I don't think I had ever heard of the  "Heartstopper" series until I started reading "Heated Rivalry" reviews. If I had heard of it, it certainly didn't make an impression that I should watch it. 

It took awhile before Heartstopper got my attention. Initially, I got the impression it was about twinks, and I had little interest. It seems to me, Heated Rivalry is a whole other animal.

[riowanderer]

11 hours ago, Gar1eth said:

And just as an aside -I don't think I had ever heard of the  "Heartstopper" series until I started reading "Heated Rivalry" reviews. If I had heard of it, it certainly didn't make an impression that I should watch it. 
 

Change of Subject -Episode 6- Spoilers, so I'll scroll down. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

1. When Ilya arrives at the cottage, they both say they haven't been with anyone in months. 
 

A) I'm sure-esp considering how young they are -they've been 'pleasuring' themselves. I really doubt they've gone 2 months or more without release. Still I guess I can see how they can still be horny for companionship. Sex when you're  alone is often different than sex with a partner. 
 

B) But that brings up another point. In the show, Shane is never shown to have any encounters with other men. But his response to Ilya in the cottage about not being with someone since the last time they were together, and a remark at his parents' place  about only being in love once with Ilya still kinda sounds to me like he's had experiences with men outside Ilya. 
 

Can anyone who's read the books comment on whether Shane has ever had sex with men who aren't Ilya?

I hear ya on Heartstopper, but I'm on safe ground saying that your own experience with this series was not the general consensus of many other gay viewers who made it this massive cash-cow global smash-hit it unexpectedly became!:)

Edited 12 hours ago by riowanderer

[riowanderer]

QUICK QUESTION / EPISODE 5 > Did anyone else catch the error IMO during the Tampa pool scene when IIya approaches Shane lounging in his chair and calls him > "Hallander"...not Hollander as he's done correctly countless times already throughout the other earlier episodes?? Likely this was a tiny error they decided few would ever notice, so they just left it in!::)  Hard to believe though that several years into their romance, IIya would suddenly be mistakenly mispronouncing the last name of the only person he's ever been in love with, especially when he's never done so accurately in every other scene covering many seasons together!:)

Edited 12 hours ago by riowanderer

[riowanderer]

I love the heart-warming narrative that Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were two young unknown waiters before being cast as total newbies in global smash-hit "Heated Rivalry"...

 

And in Hudson Williams case that's largely true, working shifts at the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Vancouver and doing a couple of short Indie films online

 

BUT in 25y/o Connor Storrie's case > definitely not so much!:)

 

REWIND:

 

"Joker: Folie A Deux" > $200M big-star box-office bomb!

(2024 sequel to mega-hit "The Joker")

 

23y/o Connor Storrie plays the lunatic prison inmate who kills the Joker at the end, revealing himself to be the successor "Real Joker"...

 

You don't get cast to play big scenes in a $200M Hollywood flick with Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix unless you have some major acting talent!:)

 

Here's the scene: 

 

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX | Arthur's Death | Full Scene 4K

 

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX | Arthur's Death | Full Scene 4K

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by riowanderer

[Rod Hagen]

3 hours ago, riowanderer said:

I love the heart-warming narrative that Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were two young unknown waiters before being cast as total newbies in global smash-hit "Heated Rivalry"...

 

 

Connor was a waiter at South Beverly Grill and was fired because he wanted to make sure a customer knew that the wine was $400 before Connor opened it and unfortunately the customer complained that Connor implied he couldn't afford it.  Found that in some interview recently.  I've eaten there before.  I live in West Hollywood so does (did?) he, with his sister.  So near.  Maybe I saw him around.  Maybe.  Yet I bet if Hudson had lived near me, my power-bottom sonar would have brought me to his door.

[riowanderer]

50 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said:

Connor was a waiter at South Beverly Grill and was fired because he wanted to make sure a customer knew that the wine was $400 before Connor opened it and unfortunately the customer complained that Connor implied he couldn't afford it.  Found that in some interview recently.  I've eaten there before.  I live in West Hollywood so does (did?) he, with his sister.  So near.  Maybe I saw him around.  Maybe.  Yet I bet if Hudson had lived near me, my power-bottom sonar would have brought me to his door.

Wow > great story > thanks!!

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, Rod Hagen said:

Connor was a waiter at South Beverly Grill and was fired because he wanted to make sure a customer knew that the wine was $400 before Connor opened it and unfortunately the customer complained that Connor implied he couldn't afford it.  Found that in some interview recently.

awww... you told that story just to set me up...  THANK YOU!

13 minutes ago, riowanderer said:

Wow > great story > thanks!!

he did it just for this...

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by samhexum
to maintain the incredibly high standards he has established here

[samhexum]

On 1/16/2026 at 12:43 PM, samhexum said:

I know there is much more detail about Ilya's family in the books, but how does his brother know that he is gay and if the answer is that it is from some kind of secretive police spying on the affair he had with his coach's son wouldn't Ilya have wound up even more secretive and guarded than he is?

 

22 hours ago, Gar1eth said:

Does Alexei actually know that Ilya has had sex with men-or does he just dislike Ilya-and is calling him gay as an insult without realizing that Ilya really is bisexual?

I think Alexei was blackmailing him.  Ilya's whole bonus went up his nose, and as a #1 pick, that would have been a lot of money (especially in Russia) and the father wasn't THAT sick at the beginning.

[Becket]

In other news, I read a review where the writer complained that she didn't much like the show because "all the butts were too perfect."

[samhexum]

5 minutes ago, Becket said:

In other news, I read a review where the writer complained that she didn't much like the show because "all the butts were too perfect."

ALL the butts?  How many were actually shown?  I'm serious.