Let’s Read Into Heated Rivalry’s Next Moves

Heated Rivalry fans may still be watching season one on repeat, but with the announcement of a second season (and a third book!), we can also start looking forward to our next escape to the cottage. Those who are impatient to see the next stage in Shane and Ilya’s relationship journey, however, can find a shortcut to season two via Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series.

Season one of the Crave show, adapted by Jacob Tierney from the second book in the series, is very faithful to the source material, also called Heated Rivalry. (It also featured a departure episode based on the events of the first book in the series, Game Changer, the story of Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, a.k.a. Skip.) The Long Game, which is the sequel to Heated Rivalry and continues the love story of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, a.k.a. Hollanov, is actually the sixth book in the Game Changers series. You got that? Hollanov’s second book is book six. The third book about the pairing, Unrivaled, is set to debut in September and is the seventh (and final?!) book in the Game Changers series. Books three through five are about other queer hockey players and their eventual partners, with Ilya and Shane appearing throughout as supporting and background characters. Given season one’s fidelity to Heated Rivalry, it is safe to assume the main plot points of season two will similarly mirror The Long Game, which takes place a couple years after those two crazy kids admitted their love for each other.

In the Heated Rivalry epilogue, which doesn’t appear in the show, we learn that, as planned, Ilya now plays for Ottawa’s team, which in the book is the Centaurs, though book team names differ from the ones used on the show so far. Ilya and Shane start a hockey camp for kids which helps raise money for mental-health awareness. Shane is out to his team, but, except for Hayden, his teammate and best friend, and his parents, who treat Ilya as a son, no one knows they’re together. Ilya is still largely in the closet and it’s killing him. Now Shane and Ilya have to execute their grand plan of keeping their relationship a secret until retirement. So it’s safe to expect that to be the new status quo as season two begins, likely after a time jump, but what then? Join me in speculating about some of the key plot points from The Long Game that may — nay, should — end up in season two.

Major Turbulence

One of the most iconic scenes in film is from 2000’s Almost Famous when the band’s plane nearly crashes and, in the chaos, everyone spills their secrets. The same thing happens to Ilya’s team. Ironically, unlike in Almost Famous, no one comes out, but Ilya does confront his own mortality when the Centaurs experience an in-air emergency on the way to a game. The event happens amid a rare and heart-wrenching conflict between him and Shane: Ilya is experiencing depression, perhaps due to genetic proclivity and certainly not helped by his current closeted stress, and feels resentful that he has given up so much for Shane and doesn’t feel like Shane has done the same or appreciates Ilya’s sacrifices. The two take some space, which sends Shane into an anxious tailspin and Ilya deeper into depression. My Shaylas are miserable until the plane nearly goes down, prompting Ilya to send Shane some heartfelt last words.

Shane is, understandably, shaken by the event. While we the readers know pretty quickly that everything’s okay, and Shane learns right away that the plane landed safely, Shane’s reaction is revealing both to himself and a teammate. The idea that he could lose Ilya prompts Shane to take the next step in the relationship and propose (cue happy tears). This scene has the potential to be season two’s emotional equivalent of Ilya bearing his soul to Shane in Russian in season one’s “tunnel monologue” — just think of how wonderful we’ll all feel when we hear Ilya’s beautiful Russian accent again and learn that he made it?

Coupling Up

In the same vein as season one’s “Hunter,” season two would do well to introduce us to another pair from the Game Changers series. Each love story helps contribute to what happens between Shane and Ilya during The Long Game, so whether we meet these characters in another standalone episode or more organically throughout the season, we can expect to spend some time with some other hockey couples.

If we meet Ryan Price, who was mentioned in passing in season one and whose book, Tough Guy, is third in the Game Changers series, it’s more likely to be a one-off. He ends up with a sexy musician, Fabian, and a memorable scene in The Long Game involves Ilya and Shane going with Ryan to see Fabian perform and secretly pining for each other in a crowded club (cue “All the Things She Said”). But as delightful as that scene is, Ryan is less central to Ilya and Shane’s arc than Troy and Harris, who are the focus of the fifth book, Role Model, and will likely be a regular presence throughout season two. Troy is a player on Ilya’s Ottawa team and Harris is the team’s social-media manager, and the hints at their relationship’s growth throughout The Long Game are a huge catalyst for what Shane and Ilya decide to do about their own relationship. Plus, thanks to Harris, Ilya gets a dog, and you are insane if you think Heated Rivalry is going to deprive us the joy of watching Connor Storrie snuggling a puppy.

It’s also a safe bet that Tierney & Co. won’t deprive us of a Skip check-in. In The Long Game, Scott and Kip are married and, late in the book, Scott approaches Hollanov with a proposition (not like that) to create an alliance of hockey players who can stand up to “the man” (the league, the media) when homophobia or other issues threaten the love of the game. We know from the blurb that the plot of Unrivaled has to do with Hollanov contending with an evil cohort of podcast bros, so this development might be significant for season three.

The Trophy Room, IYKYK

Hudson Williams told The Cut that he hopes the trophy-room scene from the book shows up in season two. He added, “If you know you know.” Well, we do know! In the book, Shane is at a low point. Ilya decides to remind Shane what a legend he is … by topping him in Shane’s trophy room. Turns out Shane has a praise kink.

It’s one of the more explicit sex scenes in the book, the other being the one after Ilya’s Halloween party … mostly because of what Shane does to prepare and because Ilya is dressed as a gladiator, which I think should serve as his The Song of Achilles audition. (Please make this happen.) I’ll let that scene remain a surprise, partially because I’m not sure how much Tierney is going to be able to get away with regarding some of the details (there are toys), but if any team is able to pull off the book’s hottest moments with both sensitivity and accuracy, it’s this one.

Out and Aboot

While Scott and Kip got to come out on their own terms, the same fate, unfortunately, does not befall our sweet Hollanov. The way they’re outed, however, is so ridiculous it’s almost not traumatizing.

It all goes down thanks to Hayden, who appeared intermittently throughout season one, played by Callan Potter, but given his presence in The Long Game is likely to play a much bigger role in season two. While hanging out at the home of Hayden and his family — who are among the very few people who know the truth about their relationship — Ilya and Shane sneak out back to snag a couple of snogs. Little do they know, Hayden is inside filming a “FanMail,” which is like a Cameo. Hayden doesn’t see Hollanov making out in the background of the video, but the fan sure does, and spams the truth out into the world.

Hayden feels terrible about the situation, and while he’s forgiven quickly by Shane and even Ilya (who remains somewhat unimpressed with Shane’s bestie), the incident introduces the big bad of the season: the hockey league commissioner, who does not handle the situation nearly as well. When he summons Hollanov to his office and asks them to put out an official statement saying the kiss captured on film was a prank, my darlings refuse, and it’s a wonderful moment for Shane, who takes the lead in telling the commissioner where he can stuff his statement. After the fallout, the boys are out to the world and not everyone is thrilled for them — conflict! — but the Centaurs are supportive of Ilya, so Shane ends up signing with them — win! 

This all feels reminiscent of the climax of season one, when Shane comes out to his parents after they discover him and Ilya at the cottage, so this larger-scale outing may end up being the big season-ending moment, with our perfect angel loveys kissing in the elevator after the meeting mirroring the car ride during the end credits of season one. However, if Tierney plans to use the whole arc of The Long Game during season two, then the season may end with Hollanov committing to more than just playing on the same team.

Wedding Season

In the spirit of the romance-novel genre, the couple ends The Long Game with a traditional “happily ever after” event: their wedding. However, the better wedding scene from the book takes place early on, when my dearest darlings are babysitting Hayden’s kids and agree to a pretend wedding, complete with plastic rings. The scene is one of the more heartwarming in the book and sets the pair up for the real deal later on.

If you think all of this is a lot to cram into six episodes, you’re not wrong. We’ll have to wait and see if Tierney gets his wish and the next season of Heated Rivalry contains more episodes, or if he decides to break up the story into two seasons. While it is tempting to want to delay gratification when it comes to Hollanov’s eventual union, if we’ve learned anything from Wicked and/or Stranger Things, it’s that holding too much space isn’t always better. As satisfying as it would be to see our precious Hollanov hitched at the end of season two, no matter what, we can rest easy in the knowledge that we’re in for another glorious season of gay hockey.