Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the stars of the hit series Heated Rivalry, stepped into a real-world Olympic spotlight. The actors served as official torchbearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games on Sunday, January 25, in Feltre, Italy. Dressed in the official pink, white, and yellow torchbearer uniforms, they carried the flame through the streets, waving to cheering crowds and capturing the moment on social media.
Heated Rivalry Torch Relay Event Details And Fan Reactions
The appearance in Feltre was part of the ongoing Olympic Torch Relay, which began in Greece last November and will conclude at the Opening Ceremony on February 6. HBO Max, which streams Heated Rivalry in the United States and holds European broadcasting rights for the 2026 Games, announced the actors’ selection as torchbearers last Thursday. The exact time and location of their participation were kept as a surprise until the event happened.
Videos from the official Olympics social media accounts show Williams first carrying the torch before passing the flame to Storrie. In one clip, Williams is heard encouraging his co-star, saying, “Go papi, go papi,” as Storrie’s torch is lit. Williams also reacted to the enthusiastic crowd, telling them, “This is crazy”. When a fan shouted, “Italy loves you a lot,” Williams responded, “I love Italy”.
Fans online celebrated the crossover between the popular series and the global sporting event. The official Olympics Instagram account posted a video of the moment with the caption, “Olympic Flame + Hudson Williams & Connor Storrie as torchbearers = ABSOLUTE CINEMA”. Social media reactions collected by outlets like Indy100 showed widespread delight. One fan wrote, “Hudson and Connor going from playing fictional hockey rivals competing at the 2014 Olympics to actually taking part in the 2026 Olympic Torch Relay is a generational run”. Another noted the unique timing, “Do you guys realise how insane the timing of the release of the first season was… right before the Winter Olympics to make Hudson and Connor be a part of it”.
Heated Rivalry Show Context And Meteoric Rise To Fame
Heated Rivalry is a television series based on Rachel Reid’s queer hockey romance novel series, “Game Changers”. The show, created by Jacob Tierney, follows the secret decade-long romance between two professional hockey rivals: Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) of the Montreal Metros and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie) of the Boston Raiders. The characters’ storylines include competing against each other at the Olympic Games in Sochi.
The series first premiered on the Canadian streamer Crave and was later acquired by HBO Max, where it became an overnight sensation after its Thanksgiving weekend debut. Its rapid success transformed its lead actors from relative newcomers to global celebrities in a matter of weeks. Before landing his role, Hudson Williams was working as a server at a restaurant in British Columbia.
Their new fame has led to a whirlwind of high-profile appearances. In early January, they presented together at the Golden Globes. Shortly after, Williams walked the runway for Dsquared2 and attended the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week. Storrie has made appearances on Late Night With Seth Meyers and the Today show. Both Crave and HBO Max confirmed a second season of Heated Rivalry was greenlit in December.
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Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games Broadcast Information
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be available to viewers through different platforms depending on their region. This marks the first time HBO Max will stream the Olympic Games in Europe, including in Italy and Germany, as part of its expansion. In the United States, the Games will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 6, at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. NBC’s primetime coverage in the U.S. will begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The ceremony, themed “Harmony,” will feature performances by artists including Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, actress Sabrina Impacciatore, and pianist Lang Lang.
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Heated Rivalry fans can look forward to more from Shane and Ilya’s story, both on screen and on the page. Catch all the action of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, streaming next month.
