The lead actors from the popular Canadian ice hockey series Heated Rivalry have been chosen as torchbearers for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
Part of the torch procession for the event in February will include Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, known for their roles as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in the Crave-produced show. Williams hails from Kelowna, British Columbia, while Storrie is of American descent.
The characters they play, Hollander and Rozanov, are portrayed as top-tier hockey players and rivals on the ice, dealing with their complex emotions towards each other off the rink.
Viewers in Italy can catch the series on HBO Max starting February 1, coinciding with the official broadcast rights for the Milan Cortina Games. Canadian viewers can continue watching it on Crave.
The torch is on its way to the Olympic opening ceremony on February 6, with 16 days remaining in its journey.
Following its immense success on streaming platforms in Canada and the United States, Heated Rivalry has been renewed for a second season.
The series, consisting of six episodes, is an adaptation of the Game Changers gay hockey romance series by Canadian writer Rachel Reid. The screen version was developed by Canadian Jacob Tierney for Crave.
Tierney, known for his involvement in Letterkenny as a co-writer, director, and executive producer, is also an executive producer and director for the hockey comedy Shoresy.