Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie lead the LGBTQ series.

*Heated Rivalry *cast: Meet the rising stars heating up HBO Max’s hockey romance

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie lead the LGBTQ series.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 20, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'. Credit:

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

- *Heated Rivalry *centers on a pair of professional hockey players whose rivalry belies a secret romance.

- The hit Crave and HBO Max series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

- François Arnaud, Sophie Nélisse, and Dylan Walsh round out the cast.

Crave and HBO Max's hockey romance *Heated Rivalry *fired a slapshot into the hearts of fans, who've been flooding social media with fan edits and googly-eyed reaction clips.

Based on Rachel Reid's *Game Changers* series of books, the hit show follows hockey superstars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose intense rivalry on the ice belies a secret romance. It was created by Jacob Tierney (*Letterkenny*), who you may remember as Eric on Nickelodeon's *Are You Afraid of the Dark?* (1990–1992).

With its popularity growing every week, it's no surprise that *Heated Rivalry *is skating its way into a second season. Before Shane and Ilya's next chapter begins, why not get to know the stars bringing this LGBTQ story to the screen?

Read on for **'s *Heated Rivalry *cast and character guide.

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Before landing his breakout role on *Heated Rivalry*, Hudson Williams carved out his own creative path by writing, producing, directing, and starring in several short films. He also guested on shows like *Allegiance *(2024) and *Tracker *(2025).

Here, Williams stars as Shane Hollander, a Canadian hockey player and the captain of the Montreal Metros.

In an interview with EW, Williams described himself as a "very physical" actor, even when a role calls for more restraint.

"Even with Shane, it doesn't look like he's the most physically expressive, but even then it was a physical choice," he explained. "I felt very limited by how Shane can move and the fact that we both have the desire just as humans to always move and collaborate and express ourselves freely, it was almost like these movements were a release."

Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov

Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Prior to *Heated Rivalry*, Connor Storrie made headlines for his small (but pivotal) role in *Joker: Folie à Deux* (2024).

On *Heated Rivalry*, Storrie stars as Ilya Rozanov, a Russian hockey player and captain of the Boston Raiders.

Speaking with EW, the actor reflected on his rise to fame, admitting that he and Williams initially underestimated the show's popularity.

Since their social media feeds were so algorithmized to the series, they assumed the buzz was limited to their own devices. "Then the moment I came back from Canada, every single day I feel like someone's stopping me and being like, 'I love the show,'" said Storrie.

François Arnaud as Scott Hunter

François Arnaud as Scott Hunter on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

After portraying real-life Italian cardinal and soldier Cesare Borgia on *The Borgias* (2011–2013), François Arnaud landed leading roles on series like *Midnight, Texas *(2017–2018) and *The Moodys *(2019–2021). In 2025, he costarred with Dylan O'Brien in the buzzy indie film *Twinless*.

Arnaud now plays Scott Hunter, a closeted American hockey player and the captain of the New York Admirals.

'Heated Rivalry' actors respond to 'I Love LA' star dissing show's sex scenes: 'It's not how gay people f---'

First out gay hockey pro thinks 'Heated Rivalry' will lead to more players staying in the closet

Speaking with EW, he credited intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter with creating an environment that made some of his more vulnerable moments feel "respectful but not precious." Rather than approaching those scenes with caution, Arnaud said the experience was "liberating."

He continued, "We knew, especially in our episode or in our relationship, that we wanted the sex to convey freedom and joy."

Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady

Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Robbie G.K., a veteran of series like *Utopia Falls *(2020) and *Overcompensating *(2025), plays Kip Grady, a juice shop barista in a passionate relationship with Scott.

Arnaud told EW that Tierney pitched Kip and Scott as "the emotional pendant of Shane and Ilya."

Callan Potter as Hayden Pike

Callan Potter as Hayden Pike on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Callan Potter previously appeared on the Nickelodeon series *The Other Kingdom *(2016) and the Canadian sitcom *Workin' Moms *(2023).

On *Heated Rivalry*, Potter plays Hayden Pike, Shane's married teammate and closest friend who's perhaps *too *invested in seeing his friend in a relationship.

Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander

Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Christina Chang has been acting on screen for nearly 30 years, with notable roles on *24 *(2003–2009), *CSI: Miami *(2004–2010) and *Rizzoli & Isles* (2015–2016). She's best known for playing Dr. Audrey Lim on more than 100 episodes of ABC's *The Good Doctor *(2017–2024).

On* Heated Rivalry*, Chang plays Yuna Hollander, Shane's mother.

Dylan Walsh as David Hollander

Dylan Walsh as David Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Dylan Walsh starred in movies like *Congo* (1995) and *We Were Soldiers* (2002) before scoring the lead role of Dr. Sean McNamara on the FX hit *Nip/Tuck* (2003–2010).

He went on to join a pair of CBS hits: *Unforgettable* (2011–2016) and *Blue Bloods* (2019–2024). You may also recognize him as the father of Lois Lane on the CW's *Superman & Lois *(2021–2024).

Walsh plays David Hollander, Yuna's husband and Shane's father.

Kolton Stewart as Carter Vaughn

Kolton Stewart as Carter Vaughn on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Kolton Stewart led the YTV comedy *Some Assembly Required* (2014–2016) before landing recurring roles on series such as *The Expanse* (2019), *Locke & Key *(2020–2021), and *My Life with the Walter Boys *(2023–2025).

On *Heated Rivalry*, he costars as Carter Vaughn, Scott's best friend and teammate.

Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry

Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Sophie Nélisse is best known for her breakthrough performance as Shauna Sadecki on *Yellowjackets *(2021–present), but she's also starred in films like *47 Meters Down: Uncaged* (2019) and *The Kid Detective *(2020).

Nélisse costars on *Heated Rivalry* as Rose Landry, a famous actress in Canada for an upcoming film. While in town, she strikes up a romance with Shane.

Tierney confirmed to EW that Jennifer Lawrence served as the inspiration for Rose. "This is such specific Montreal lore, which is where I'm from, and the city that Rachel [Reid, *Game Changer* author] is also obsessed with," he said. "They made all the *X-Men* movies there. The inspiration is Jennifer Lawrence and the *X-Men* movies."

Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova

Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

Before joining *Heated Rivalry*, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova starred on the short-lived drama *Robyn Hood *(2023). You can also see her on episodes of the Canadian sitcom *Strays* (2022) and FX's *Adults* (2025), as well as films like Alexander Payne's *Downsizing* (2017) and *A Very Jonas Christmas Movie* (2025).

She plays Svetlana, Ilya's longtime friend and sporadic lover.

Yaroslav Poverlo as Grigori Rozanov

Yaroslav Poverlo as Grigori Rozanov on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Yaroslav Poverlo has acted in several films and series, but he's also a go-to Russian and Ukrainian dialect coach for shows like *Altered Carbon*, *Law & Order,* and *The Recruit. *

On *Heated Rivalry*, he portrays Grigori Rozanov, Ilya's ailing father.

Where can I watch Heated Rivalry?**

New episodes of *Heated Rivalry *drop weekly on Fridays on HBO Max.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter***.****

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Drama”