How a Hamilton, Ont. family home became Shane Hollander’s love nest in ‘Heated Rivalry’

Canadian hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams made his first appearance on late-night TV with Jimmy Fallon.

The Montreal apartment where some of the steamiest moments in “Heated Rivalry” happen isn’t a Montreal apartment at all.

It’s a two-storey house in Hamilton belonging to bridal makeup artist Monika Rejnowicz, who says Crave’s wildly popular gay hockey drama transformed her family home into protagonist Shane Hollander’s love nest.

The space is instantly recognizable to fans: the now-famous orange sectional couch, the wraparound staircase and a bed that has seen more action on TV than its owners ever expected.

“My house has always been sexy,” laughs Rejnowicz, whose social media videos highlighting the show’s filming spots throughout her abode have gone viral.

“We were not anticipating it being such an adult love story, but I love it.”

Rejnowicz says location scouts knocked on her door last May asking to see if her house could work for the series, which follows a secret romance between two rival male hockey players: Hudson Williams’ Hollander and Connor Storrie’s Ilya Rozanov.

“I only allow love stories to be filmed here,” she says, adding several Hallmark movies and W Network productions have been shot at her home.

“We’ve had horror movies and thrillers come by and I’m like, absolutely not.”

After a follow-up visit from writer-director Jacob Tierney, the team settled on the location. Rejnowicz says her family was “very fairly compensated” and housed in a hotel while the production filmed in her home for about five days in June.

Since debuting in November, “Heated Rivalry” has blown up, becoming Crave’s most-watched original series ever and a fixture on HBO Max’s top 10 shows in the U.S.

“It’s all been so surreal, especially because they didn’t change a lot to make it Shane’s apartment, so that was cool to see.”

Rejnowicz says the home’s esthetic was largely left untouched for “Heated Rivalry,” with the production using most of her own furniture — including a Mobilia couch and bed, topped with a Sleep Country mattress. The bed’s pile of pillows, which Ilya mocks Shane for in Episode 2, was added by the show.

“It’s a fully Canadian setup!” she says

The Montreal skyline visible through the windows was inserted via CGI.

And no, Rejnowicz and her husband don’t feel weird sleeping in the same bed where one of the series’ most intimate scenes — when Shane and Ilya first have sex — was filmed.

“The bedroom scene was quite intense,” she says.

“At the end of the day, I think we can all agree that these are paid actors creating a love story and it’s just acting. So I don’t feel any different. It was part of a beautiful script and it is what it is.”

“My friends are very envious,” she adds.

Rejnowicz says her family was allowed to return to their home at the end of each shoot day to use their swimming pool and check out the set.

“Everyone in the production was awesome. I have two children, so they were able to see what was going on — obviously not the adult-themed stuff... Even their teachers are excited."

• IN PHOTOS: All the places ‘Heated Rivalry’ filmed in Toronto and Ontario

Since the show’s release, fans have been eagerly tracking down its shooting spots, including the Muskoka Lakes cottage where Shane and Ilya escape in the season finale. The drama was filmed in multiple locations across Ontario, mostly in Hamilton and Toronto.

Rejnowicz says she’s been getting flooded with messages from fans asking about Airbnb stays, house tours or details about the furniture itself. The orange sectional, in particular, has become a minor celebrity.

“Shane texts a lot from the couch,” she says. “There’s love that happens on the couch. It’s a great couch.”

Rejnowicz says she isn’t completely opposed to opening her doors to fans, but needs to consider it carefully first.

She’d definitely welcome “Heated Rivalry” back to her home for season 2.

“They don’t know anything yet about season 2 other than it being picked up,” she says. “I’d love to see them continue the story back here, where it all started.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press

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