Just in time before the end of the year, Canada has made a global splash. Small-budget queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry is as Canadian as it gets; created and directed by Letterkenny‘s Jacob Tierney, based on a book by Canadian author Rachel Reid, and originally streaming only on Crave, no one — stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams included — could have guessed it would become the most talked-about show of the season.
Making headlines and spawning watch parties, thirst tweets and a truly prolific fan base, Heated Rivalry — with its much-lauded sex scenes and co-stars with some serious chemistry — has even broken records.
The hockey series, based on the book Game Changers by Reid, follows fictional hockey players Canadian Shane Hollander (Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) navigating a secret romance which began during their rookie year. The series sees the two characters as they transition from a scathing on-ice rivalry to a love affair hidden from their team members, their families and the world.
Heated Rivalry has made a global splash too. HBO Max picked up the series recently, helping propel the show to its current viral status, as well as streaming services in New Zealand and Spain after the initial premiere. The U.K. is set to pick up the show very soon as well. And fans can rest assured that a season two has already been confirmed — though it won’t premiere for a while, likely in 2027.
If you’re watching the show, you may find that some of its locations look vaguely familiar. Your instinct is right: the show, which made its debut in November, mainly filmed around Toronto and all over Ontario. Planning a little Heated Rivalry-themed road trip? Check out all the filming locations across the city and beyond.
Toronto area filming locations
In a behind-the-scenes by eTalk, one hotel scene looks to be filmed at none other than the Lavelle rooftop on King West.
Plus, a user on Reddit noticed that Joni Restaurant at Toronto’s Park Hyatt was used as the backdrop. The farm-to-table 4 Avenue Rd. spot was used for a scene at the end of the first episode.
Another scene just outside Toronto takes place at a lavish, 24,000-square-foot mansion in Vaughan, located on Rocmary Place. The extravagant home was posted on an Instagram account for the show in a behind-the-scenes look.
Other Ontario filming spots
Heated Rivalry took over the Sleeman Centre, an iconic skating rink in Guelph, which was spotted in many skating scenes in the show.
Another popular filming location for the show was in Hamilton, with fans noticing more than one landmark in the series.
It was easy to spot Hamilton’s Dundurn Castle, which was used for a scene where Ilya is seen jogging in Russia.
The front of McMaster Burridge Gym also makes an appearance, where the two hockey stars first meet one another in the very first scene of the series. The university’s Pulse Fitness Centre also made an appearance in episode four — as two separate gyms. Ilya and Shane were both shown working out in what appeared to be different gyms in totally different cities.
Another Reddit user says that Hamilton restaurant Ciao Bella acts as the backdrop where Shane and his parents meet up in.
For fans of the “Skip” story line (hockey player Scott Hunter and his love interested Kip, side characters in the Heated Rivalry TV universe who got their own love story in episode three), visit Relay Coffee in Hamilton. It played the part of Straw+Berry, the smoothie shop where the pair have their meet-cute. And the gay bar Kip and his friends frequently meet up at was actually filmed in Hamilton’s Winchester Arms.
One more major filming location was in Hamilton: the home of Ilya himself, as shown in episode four. The ultra-modern 66 Weirs Ln. (currently for sale for $6.5 million) played the part.
