Overview
- Heated Rivalry is a six-episode series created by Jacob Tierney from Rachel Reid’s novel, starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as rival pro hockey players.
- The show debuts Friday on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the United States and Australia, with press screenings limited to the first two episodes.
- Tierney says the series averages about three sex scenes per episode, with reviewers noting lengthy, intimate sequences that are explicit in implication rather than graphic detail.
- At a Nov. 23 premiere event, the leads described having “no boundaries” for the intimate work, with the production emphasizing consent, active check-ins and intimacy coordination.
- Early critiques highlight time-jumping storytelling, strong lead chemistry and themes around homophobia in hockey and cultural contrasts between Canada and Russia.