Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for the Heated Rivalry ending.
Have a nice time at the dacha?
The finale of Heated Rivalry will officially premiere on HBO Max in the US on December 26th, bringing fans of Canadian streamer Crave's together. surprise hit, hockey romantic drama a welcome conclusion—at least for now.
The six-episode series, which premiered on November 28, has been officially unveiled. renewed for a second season halfway through airing.
Heated Rivalry, based on the 2019 novel by Canadian author Rachel Reed, follows eight years of the professional and personal lives of two rival hockey stars, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). Behind the scenes of their legendary rivalry, they enter into a long-running sexual relationship and, after tuna melts and text messages, fall in love.
The season finale left Shane and Ilya happy with their official relationship, but potential obstacles abound: neither is open to their teams or the world, and the plan is to keep the relationship a secret for the indefinite future.
The ending of the series completely coincides with the ending of the book. But thanks to Reed, their story continues in the 2022 sequel The Long Game.
Here's what you need to know about what happens next in Shane and Ilya's story.
What happens in the “long game”?
Major spoilers ahead for Rachel Reid's 2022 novel The Long Game.
“The Long Game” takes place several years after the epilogue of “Heated Rivalry” ended with Shane and Ilya finding themselves in a happy but secret relationship while each continues their hockey careers.
Ilya has established himself as a star player on a struggling Ottawa team, while Shane still plays for Montreal, keeping their teams' cities only about two hours apart. They also gave the appearance of public friendship by creating a joint charitable organization.
But the burden of keeping their relationship a secret gradually increases throughout the sequel. “The Long Game” takes place during their 11th season of “hides,” as Ilya puts it: seven secret affairs and three “mostly secret committed relationships.”
And after moving from Boston to Shane's hometown of Ottawa to be closer to him, Ilya's hockey ambitions begin to take less of a priority, especially compared to Shane, who remains focused on winning another Stanley Cup and cementing his legacy in Montreal.
The book also talks about Ilya's recurring dreams about his mother, who committed suicide when he was 12 years old. It is revealed that she has suffered from severe depression and Ilya is undergoing therapy, although he initially hides this from Shane. He is eventually diagnosed with depression as he and Shane grow increasingly distant from each other, culminating in a fight in which Ilya accuses Shane of choosing hockey over his partner.
But fear not, Hollanov does No break up. After their fight, Ilya's team plane is forced to make an emergency landing. Its rumble reminds Shane and Ilya how much they mean to each other. They reconcile and Shane proposes.
They also set a reveal schedule, but their plans are ruined when they are spotted kissing in the background of a video that goes viral. Although the league forces them to release a statement saying the clip was a hoax, they refuse. The couple posts a photo together and talks about their relationship on social media on their own terms.
The book ends with Shane and Ilya getting married and wanting children is discussed on one page. And in the epilogue, it was revealed that Shane had joined Ottawa, meaning that the newlyweds would be playing on the same team full-time for the first time.
Will Heated Rivalry Season 2 be based on The Long Game?
Good question.
A synopsis or premise for the second season of Heated Rivalry is not yet available, but creator Jacob Tierney has confirmed that future episodes will continue the story of Shane and Ilya.
“We are keeping an eye on Shane and Ilya. It won’t be a shock,” he said. previously told Entertainment Weekly.
And in video announcement of the second season for HBO Max, Storrie told viewers, “Start reading The Long Game if you want spoilers.”
When will Season 2 of Heated Rivalry be released?
Now for the bad news.
Although news of a second season renewal came less than a month after the show premiered, it will likely take a long time. many more time to bring this sequel to fans.
Talking to DiversityTierney confirmed that season two will not be released until 2026 this time around.
“It can’t be this time next year because last year at this time I wrote five of them and this year I wrote zero,” Tierney said. “So it will be a little later, but it will still be soon.”
He added that his goal is to balance quality and timeliness.
“We understand that everyone’s goal is not to have two years between seasons,” he said. “At the same time, I don't want to rush out a second season just because the show is so popular. But we understand that our creative partners are enthusiastic and don't want to wait too long. We're getting back to work!”
What happens to Shane and Ilya after The Long Game?
There are six books in Reed's Game Changers series, but only Heated Rivalry and The Long Game focus on Shane and Ilya.
Reed admitted that The Long Game's ending left two beloved characters at an “interesting moment” and she confirmed by TODAY.com that she is working on ideas for new stories.
“They never leave my head. I think my other characters leave my head, but these guys stay with me,” Reed said.
“I have ideas for stories. I’m working on some of them, trying to figure out what to do with them, but something will happen,” she added. “You're bound to see something.”
