If you need to feel something this week, sprint don’t walk to HBO Max and watch the first few episodes of Heated Rivalry. It’s that serious. As the least sporty person in existence, I can confirm that this hockey romance is the thrill of the year. The buzzy Canadian series follows two rival pro hockey players, Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov, as they navigate a passionate secret romance. The star athletes share steamy moments in locker rooms, public bathrooms, and fancy hotel rooms, and their chemistry is quite literally off the fucking charts. Entering new stratospheres. Making me believe in love again. Can you tell I’m unwell (positive) and very impatiently awaiting the third episode? For those just getting acquainted, here’s everything to know about Heated Rivalry, plus a necessary introduction to the gorgeous and talented stars of the show, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

Heated Rivalry: Cast, Season 2 Theories

Introducing Heated Rivalry Stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie

Hudson, who plays Shane, is a rising star with just a few TV series (Tracker, Allegiance), a TV movie (All I Need for Christmas), and a few shorts under his belt. While Connor is also a breakout star, he has a slightly longer TV and film resume, which includes Joker: Folie à Deux, April X, and Tiny Beautiful Things.

The chemistry between the actors was very apparent in auditions. In a new interview with Out, Connor shared that Hudson was the third person he read with. “I was like, ‘Yeah, Hudson, for sure.’ Instantly,” he recalled. Creator and showrunner Jacob Tierney revealed that Hudson told him: “The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me.” That’s how the show creator knew he’d found his stars. In my professional opinion, Hudson and Connor were born to play these roles.

Is Heated Rivalry Based On A True Story?

Image Credit: HBO Max

No, but Heated Rivalry is based on the second book (of the same name) in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. As a Canadian hockey fan, Rachel finds inspiration in the sport and the players. “I’ve been a hockey fan since the eighties, long enough to be very familiar with the different general types of hockey players,” she writes on her website. “One of my inspirations for Heated Rivalry was, obviously, the extremely entertaining rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin. But I was also inspired by other sports rivalries, by other fictional stories, and by my love of the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance tropes.”

How Many Episodes Of Heated Rivalry Are There?

I regret to inform you that this season will only be six episodes. (I know, that info also ruined my day.) Clearly, we need to make our voices heard and demand a 20-episode second season. But for now, we’ll just have to savor the rest of the season 1 episodes airing weekly on Fridays.

Will There Be A Season 2 Of Heated Rivalry?

Season 2 hasn’t officially been confirmed yet, but it’s looking good. Ahead of season 1, the show creator chatted with Teen Vogue about the possibility of more seasons. “I think Rachel created a cool universe, and if people like it and respond to it, we are happy to keep making more — not forever, but there’s certainly more road to pave,” he dished. That’s what I like to hear! And there’s another book about Shane and Ilya in Rachel’s series: The Long Game. The sequel takes place a decade later, so perhaps we can expect a time jump if and when there’s a season 2.