Note to Heated Rivalry fans: no coming to the cottage, the arena, the smoothie shop. Unlike the steamy scenes in the mega-hit queer hockey romance series, fans are being kindly asked to give the cast and crew space should they come upon a set in Montreal. “To our incredible fans and everyone who’s been sharing in the excitement for the show,” director Jacob Tierney wrote in a post on Instagram. “If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they need to do best.” The post comes as season 2 filming is underway for the hit show starring Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander), Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov), Francois Arnaud (Scott Hunder) and Robbie G.K. (Kip Grady). The show set a record at the Canadian Screen Awards (CSA) with 16 wins, including best lead performer for Williams. Storrie is American and didn’t qualify for a CSA. The show is not eligible for the Emmys as it is entirely produced in Canada. The stars of the show shot to the top of the A-list after the first season’s release, with some fans arguably crossing lines to get close to meet them. Williams confronted some fans who followed him to a private residence in Paris for his signature. “You guys aren’t fans,” he says in the video. “You’re being really creepy, and you just followed me, ok? You don’t do this.” The video went viral online. Tierney is also the creator and writer of the show based on the novel series “Game Changers by Rachel Ried. In the post, he thanked his fans while asking for a wider berth while shooting. “We promise it’ll be worth the wait,” he said. “Give them space and let them cook,” read one reply. “I want 0 spoilers for season 2,” wrote another fan. “People need to remember this show is a gem/gift. We can have nice things and not be feral!”
