Heated Rivalry becomes a surprise hit in Russia despite anti-LGBTQ+ laws

If you haven’t heard of gay ice hockey TV drama “Heated Rivalry” and its two lead stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie yet ... then get your skates on.

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What started as a word-of-mouth hit in the U.S. and Canada in December 2025 has since spread into a global phenomenon. Its stars have rocketed from unknowns to cultural icons in the space of weeks, appearing on stage at the Golden Globes, sashaying down the Milan catwalks to, this week, carrying the torch for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Based on the 2019 novel by Rachel Reid, the story traces the decade-long secret relationship between Canadian Shane Hollander (Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), mixing slow-building yearning with explicit sexual scenes.

And as it launches across Europe, it’s proving a surprise hit in Russia, even though homosexuality is illegal there and the show will never get an official release.

Journalist and author Mikhail Zygar was born in what was then the Soviet Union, like Rozanov, and spent his childhood as a closeted gay man in Russia. He said coming out was completely impossible and he thinks the show is inspiring, not just among the LGBTQ+ community, but all Russians, as “an attempt to normalize the discourse.”

“It shows that it is OK. That people can fall in love and it’s so beautiful. And the popularity of this TV show definitely may change some perception from the broader audience,” he said.