‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 1 Finale: When It Is, What We Know, and What You Can Expect to Happen

Apologies if this is news to you, but the Heated Rivalry season 1 finale is already upon us. Episode six (entitled “The Cottage”) hits HBO Max and Crave the day after Christmas, and while you may not be ready to say goodbye to Shane and Ilya, you’re probably wondering what you can expect from this season’s final episode. Lucky for you, I’m here with some intel, including what’s going down in the finale, how it differs from the Game Changers books, and what cliffhangers we may get to lead us into season 2 (which, btw, is officially happening).

Ahead, everything we know so far about the Heated Rivalry finale, starting with...

When does the Heated Rivalry season 1 finale air?

Episode six will be available to stream starting at midnight EST on December 26, so you better believe I’ll be staying up late this Christmas to watch!

What is going to happen in the Heated Rivalry finale?

According to the official synopsis, episode six will see “Shane and Ilya get away from the spotlight for a rare moment of freedom. But when the outside world intrudes, they have to face some tough decisions that could change everything about their future and what it means to build a life together.”

After the first two episodes dropped, Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie teased the final episode of the season during an interview with Swooon, saying, “As the story progresses, everything that takes place in the cottage was really satisfying from an actor’s perspective. Just because we get to a different level of their intimacy, their relationship. I think that’s the most exciting to me, and I also think some of the coolest revelations happen to the characters when they are there.”

Show creator Jacob Tierney also opened up about the finale, revealing, “We finished shooting the show with Episode 6, and we finished at the cottage. There’s a kind of sentimental memory with it. We’d all gotten very close. We’d worked very hard, and to end in this wonderful, small, pared-down, intimate setting was special.”

How will the Heated Rivalry finale be different from the books?

If you’ve read the Game Changers books, then you already know that Shane and Ilya’s time at the cottage turns out to be waaaaay more than just romantic. While chatting with Decider, Connor said that “The Cottage” will pretty closely follow Rachel Reid’s novel—with one exception.

“I can only think of one difference in it and I don’t think it matters at all,” Connor told Decider, adding, “I think it’s very, very true to the book. That’s my favorite episode, personally. That’s my favorite part of the entire thing.”

Of course, he wouldn’t reveal what said difference was so...guess we’ll have to wait and see!

What happens at the cottage in the Heated Rivalry book?

Heated Rivalry

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Some top notes: In Heated Rivalry (which is the second book in the Game Changers series), Shane invites Ilya to his cottage in the off-season—an invitation that he only accepts after he sees Scott and Kip share their kiss in front of the world. At the house, Shane and Ilya make a plan to be together, though they decide to not to tell anyone about their relationship until after they’ve retired.

However! Their romantic getaway is interrupted when Shane’s parents show up, walking in on their son kissing Ilya. After, Ilya decides to leave his team in Boston for Ottawa, in order to be closer to Shane—despite Ottawa being a much worse team.

In the epilogue (which takes place about a year after the cottage visit), Shane and Ilya announce at a press conference that they’re starting a charity together, which will make it easier for them to spend time together off the ice without fans asking questions.

Counting down the minutes until the Heated Rivalry finale airs!!