The internet’s most favourite rivals-turned-something-messier are skating into awards season together. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the stars behind Heated Rivalry’s Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, have been tapped to present at Sunday’s Golden Globes.
This is the duo’s first awards appearance together since the release of their steamy hockey-romance drama, which premiered on Crave in November and was picked up for streaming in the U.S. on HBO Max.
The show, which is now the most-watched original series ever on Crave, was created by award-winning Canadian writer-director Jacob Tierney and is based on the best-selling book series “Game Changers” by Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid. The six-episode drama follows two fresh-faced NHL rookies as their secret fling evolves into a powerful, years-long love story (so, fans are very invested in how the duo will get along on stage this Sunday!)
In Canada, Crave renewed Heated Rivalry for Season 2 after the series delivered its biggest original-series debut on record (Bell Media says viewership jumped nearly 400% in the first seven days after the premiere). The series’ HBO Max rollout has helped turn the leads into mainstream pop-culture fixtures just south of the border, with Williams recently telling Andy Cohen Live that closeted pro athletes have been reaching out to him privately since the show debuted.
“It’s definitely the people who reach out, somewhat anonymously, who are like, ‘I’m a professional player still, and I’m still in the closet,’” Williams told Cohen.
Beyond the Globes, it’s a strategic week for the two. Williams made his late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night (his first mainstream late-night booking), and Storrie is scheduled to appear on Late Night with Seth Meyers next Monday, the night after the Globes.
The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony takes place Sun, Jan 11, 2026, at 8 pm.
