‘Heated Rivalry’ stars break the ice with U.S. late-night appearances

Crave's new show 'Heated Rivalry,' featuring a romance between two young male hockey players, could have an impact on hockey culture. Alexandra Holyk explains.

Stars of the hockey drama “Heated Rivalry” are heading to U.S. late-night television this month, marking a high-profile moment for the Canadian-made series as it continues to build international momentum.

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play rival professional hockey players in the adaptation of Rachel Reid’s bestselling novel, are set to appear on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers later this month.

The interviews mark the first late-night appearances for any cast member from the series, which was originally developed for Bell Media’s Crave.

Williams, who portrays Canadian forward Shane Hollander, is scheduled to sit down with Fallon on Wednesday. Storrie, who plays Russian sniper Ilya Rozanov, will appear on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, Jan. 12.

The late-night bookings underscore the rapid rise of the six-episode series based on Reid’s 2019 novel from her “Game Changers” book franchise. Written by the Nova Scotia-based author, the story follows two elite hockey players whose fierce on-ice rivalry gives way to a secret, years-long romantic relationship as their careers unfold.

Directed by Montreal’s Jacob Tierney, the series debuted over U.S. Thanksgiving and has become one of Canada’s most talked-about original series

“The spice definitely gets people in, or kinda piques their interest, but I do think they stay for just the tender romance at the centre,” Williams told CNN Wednesday. “There’s a lot of yearning and these men are forced to communicate with each other, which is sometimes unheard of.”

The show has also drawn attention for putting a queer love story in the masculine world of professional hockey.

In an interview on Andy Cohen Live, Williams said they receive anonymous messages from professional athletes, saying they’re “still in the closet.”

“They’re reaching out to (Reid), our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely anonymous emails,” he said. “And sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show, and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerve.’”

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For both actors, the series represents their biggest roles to date. Williams has previously appeared in the series Tracker and the 2024 Hallmark holiday film All I Need for Christmas. Storrie has had small roles in Joker: Folie à Deux and the 2023 miniseries Tiny Beautiful Things.

The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Williams and Storrie will present at Sunday’s 2026 Golden Globe Awards.

The Canadian production has also found a growing international audience. HBO Max has acquired the series for the United States and Australia, while Sky will air it in New Zealand and Movistar Plus+ plans to debut the show in Spain. Heated Rivalry has already been renewed for a second season.

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With files from The Canadian Press

Crave, CTV News and CP24 are divisions of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc.