Live from New York, it’s Ilya Rozanov!

“Heated Rivalry” actor Connor Storrie, who plays the Russian hockey star on the hit TV series, takes off his skates to host this weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.”

It’s a first for the 26-year-old Colorado native, who will be joined by musical guest Mumford & Sons.

But fans of the Crave TV romance aren’t entirely pleased with one of the surprises that may be in store.

Hollywood trade publication Deadline reports U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Quinn Hughes is also expected to make an appearance. It comes just days after his team was captured in a video laughing along with U.S. President Donald Trump over a joke he made about being obligated to invite the gold-medal winning U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team to the White House.

Some of Storrie’s “Heated Rivalry” family might be around the Big Apple to offer their support. Earlier this week, Rachel Reid posted a photo on her Instagram seemingly backstage at Cole Escola’s Tony-winning Broadway show “Oh, Mary!” with a group that included Simu Liu. – David Friend

Bell Media tells the Star that production is set to begin on “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 “sometime this summer,” with plans for a spring 2027 premiere date.

The confirmation from the broadcaster, which owns the Crave channels and streaming TV service, came after show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady appeared on CBS Mornings, telling host Gayle King they hoped for the show to return in April 2027. — David Friend

Reid shared the news in an Instagram video message in which she spoke about how her life has changed since TV’s “Heated Rivalry” drew more attention to her “Game Changers” book series, upon which the show is based.

“I think when good things happen, sometimes the universe hands you some more stuff to balance it out. And for me, that’s been that my Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten a bit worse, and it’s made it difficult physically to write,” said Reid.

“I just needed a few more months for writing, and my publisher has been gracious enough to give those to me,” she said in a video posted on social media.

In the summer of 2023, Reid was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after a tremor in her right arm and hand became persistent. A few days later, Montreal filmmaker Jacob Tierney reached out about optioning “Heated Rivalry” for a TV series he wanted to develop. — David Friend

Dubbed the Barlochan cottage, the three-bedroom retreat in Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes has been the subject of intense fan discussion since the episode aired.

Protagonists Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov spend the summer there, and what begins as a private escape becomes an emotional turning point in their relationship, as they open up about their fears, their families and the possibility of a shared future.

Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping lake views, the cottage, says a release, is synonymous with “charged exchanges, candid conversations and unforgettable moments.” — CP 

Williams will star alongside Carrie-Anne Moss, best known for her role in “The Matrix,” Noah Reid from “Schitt’s Creek” and Clark Backo of “Letterkenny” in “Yaga,” a drama based on the Baba Yaga myth. It’s his first TV project since “Heated Rivalry” debuted last year.

The series is based on the hit play by Kat Sandler, which reimagines the Slavic myth of a child-eating witch who lives in a hut made of chicken bones as a small-town mystery thriller with a compelling female anti-hero.

Williams will portray Henry Park, the heir to a powerful fishery who has disappeared, while Reid will play Rapp, a detective who’s come to town to solve the mystery.

Moss plays Katherine, who Crave describes as “a charismatic university professor with a taste for younger men.” — CP

Its biggest fans at the Olympics may be the Canadian delegation.

As part of the Olympic experience, athletes were gifted a potted plant. Many of the Canadians named theirs Shane or Ilya, according to the delegation’s lead press liaison, Tara MacBournie.

Canadian Alpine skier Kiki Alexander took the love a bit further, sharing on TikTok that the village’s Canadian moose has been named Shane.

“If you know, you know,” she wrote. — AP

When Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie logged into a Zoom room for their first chemistry read, casting directors Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay felt it instantly.

Even through a screen, the spark was undeniable. “Heated Rivalry” had found its hockey heartthrobs: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.

“They were so comfortable with each other. It was a real connection,” says Lewis, noting that series creator Jacob Tierney helped set an easygoing tone on the call.

“They were relaxed, joking when they weren’t in scene. There was an instant camaraderie between the two — even though they hadn’t met in person at that point.” — CP

The sizzle of “Heated Rivalry” is being felt far beyond its loyal fanbase.

Telecommunications company BCE Inc., which owns Bell Media and the Crave brand, says that subscriptions to the streaming platform rose 26 per cent from the same three months a year earlier, helped in part by interest in the gay hockey series.

“Heated Rivalry” debuted well into the financial quarter and became an almost instant sensation which has only gained steam in more recent weeks.

The Crave TV series has emerged as a global sensation, generating significant media attention and cultural impact and underscoring the strength of our investment in premium Canadian storytelling,” BCE’s chief executive Mirko Bibic told analysts on a conference call. – David Friend/CP

It follows other libraries in Canada and the U.S. that have made digital versions of the audiobook and ebook, which inspired the hit Crave TV series, readily available to borrow — including the Calgary Public Library, Burlington Public Library and, notably, the New York Public Library.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told city dwellers over the weekend to stay indoors during a snowstorm and “take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to ‘Heated Rivalry’ on ebook or audiobook.” — CP

Sex, politics and hockey collided as Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Ottawa dignitaries gathered with the star and creators of “Heated Rivalry” to toast the saucy success of the homegrown Crave TV series.

The unlikely scene — a room full of political leaders and TV industry players gathering to listen to a panel discussion about the hit show, including the filming of its graphic sex scenes — played out in the nation’s capital during Prime Time, an annual conference for the TV and media industry.

On the red carpet, Canadian star Williams (Shane Hollander on the show) presented Carney with a “Heated Rivalry” Team Canada Olympic jacket, clapping as he tried it on. Williams told Carney the fleece was the same jacket he wore on the show, jokingly suggesting that it might still smell.

After a photographer encouraged the duo to hug, Carney suggested to Williams, “Do the leg thing.”

“What’s the leg thing? Oh, the leg thing!” Williams exclaimed, as Carney took the actor’s leg in his arm.

Later, in his opening remarks at the panel, the prime minister introduced Williams as “my new best friend, Hudson.” — David Friend

First seen in Crave’s hit gay hockey drama on character Shane Hollander when he plays for Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics, the fleece quickly sparked online enthusiasm, with fans repeatedly asking how they could purchase it.

Now, the show’s production company, Accent Aigu Entertainment, has teamed up with Canadian-owned clothing brand Province of Canada to produce and distribute the jacket. — CP

While the rinks are mostly a backdrop on the hit Crave series, it was up to a team of real-life players, including Jonah De Simone, to make sure the action on the ice rang true.

The 23-year-old University of Guelph student was cast as the hockey body double for Shane Hollander, played by Kelowna, B.C. native Hudson Williams. He portrayed most of the complicated moves and close-up shots for the character in the games and advised on some of the other interactions.

The former Guelph Gryphon right-winger, who also played for the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs, had answered a call from his coach seeking players who might be interested in working on a new TV series.

After sending in his height, weight and skill level, De Simone said the casting director got in touch, suggesting that he would be the perfect fit to double for one of the main characters.

With little sense of what the job might involve, he showed up on the first day with fellow body double Ralph Taggart, who stood in for his Russian rival Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie.

“All the sudden it goes from like, we’re sitting on our phones doing nothing to, ‘OK try on these skates, tell them how to tape their socks, tape these five sticks.’ We even had to decide on a look for Shane’s character.”

De Simone tossed out a few other suggestions that stuck, including the groin stretch Hollander does in the locker room, a move that Williams recreated on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show a few weeks back.

Working so closely with the actors gave De Simone the kind of insights fit for any “Heated Rivalry” trivia night.

For instance, he says Williams built out the universe of his character with small details, such as scribbling the name of his mom, Yuna Hollander, on the knob of his stick. — David Friend

Bell Media says its breakout hit “Heated Rivalry” will return to Crave and its U.S. streaming service partner, HBO Max, for more episodes.

The LGBTQ+ series from writer-director Jacob Tierney has exploded in popularity over the past few weeks, thanks to clips of its spicier moments shared widely on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie star as rival NHL hotshots Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who fall into a years-long relationship outside of the rink.

Crave says its steamy adaptation was its most-watched original series debut within the first seven days, though it did not provide exact viewership numbers.

“Heated Rivalry” is based on the “Game Changers” book series by Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid.

Outside North America, several new distribution deals have been secured for the Crave Original, including Sky in New Zealand and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.

HBO Max will have the show’s rights in numerous regions of Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines, while deals with platforms in additional countries will be announced soon, including the United Kingdom. – David Friend/CP