Jacob Tierney, the creator of the hit series Heated Rivalry, says he is still processing the massive wave of support from fans around the world. In a recent interview, he described the reaction to his show about two gay hockey players as “really, really beautiful.”
The series, which premiered in late 2025, has turned into a global phenomenon. Based on the novel by Rachel Reid, it follows the secret relationship between NHL rivals Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). While the show features intense hockey action, it is the emotional love story that has truly connected with people.
A Story That Resonates Far and Wide
Tierney recently sat down with Attitude magazine to discuss the show’s unexpected journey. He admitted that he never imagined the series would have this kind of impact. The creator revealed that he has received direct messages from unexpected places, including from closeted athletes.
“They have, yeah,” Tierney confirmed when asked if real-life sports figures had reached out to him . He explained that the goal was always to tell a specific love story, not to tackle every issue facing the queer community.
“I very consciously was avoiding the trauma,” he said. “This is a love story. This is a romance. I wanted a happy ending. There was no part of me that imagined this show having the impact that it would have” .
The Moments That Matter Most
For Tierney, the show’s success is not just about ratings or streaming numbers. It is about specific moments that have given viewers something they rarely see on television. He pointed to the final two episodes of the first season as the heart of the project.
“The ending of episode five is incredibly important to me. And episode five and six are why I wanted to tell this story,” Tierney explained. “I wanted to get to show things that we don’t get to see as queer people, and I wanted to show… not just happiness, but that kind of over-the-top rom-com happiness… And then I wanted the quiet happiness of episode six as well” .
Those episodes clearly struck a chord. The fifth episode, titled I’ll Believe in Anything, scored a rare 10/10 rating on IMDb from fans, placing it alongside legendary episodes of shows like Breaking Bad .
A Defining Scene That Made the Creator Emotional
One scene, in particular, has become a symbol of the show’s importance. During a panel at the Prime Time gala in Ottawa in late January, Tierney became visibly emotional while watching the now-famous arena kiss scene. In the scene, characters Scott Hunter and Kip Grady share a kiss on the ice in front of a packed crowd, set to the Wolf Parade song that gives the episode its title.
“This was the point,” Tierney said as he watched the clip. “This was to give people this moment that you don’t get when you’re a kid. You don’t get this” .
This moment has become a powerful symbol for viewers who grew up without seeing themselves represented in mainstream sports stories.
Handling Critics and Staying Kind
Not all feedback has been glowing. Some critics have called the romance “unrealistic” for professional sports. Tierney has a simple response to that.
“Well, no shit,” he joked when asked about the criticism. “It’s based on a Harlequin book. And it’s about professional hockey players. I mean, if you are under the impression this is a documentary, you’ve really come to the wrong spot” .
Despite the occasional negative comment, Tierney tries to approach everyone with empathy. He recognizes that the queer community is made up of many different people with many different experiences.
“I try to leave those voices with a bit of kindness, even if they aren’t directing kindness my way, I’m like, that’s okay. I can still be kind back,” he said .
The Numbers Prove the Love Is Real
The fan support is not just emotional; it is measurable. The show quickly became Crave’s most-watched original series ever . In the US, it topped the charts on HBO Max. The success has also sparked massive interest in the books.
- Sales of the Game Changers book series shot up nearly 4,000% after the show premiered, selling over 200,000 copies .
- The Winnipeg Public Library reported that Heated Rivalry had been checked out over 300 times in January 2026 alone, with a waitlist of 140 people for the physical book .
- In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani recommended the book during a snowstorm, causing digital downloads to surge by 529% at the New York Public Library.
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What’s Next for the Series
Fans will be happy to know that Tierney is already hard at work on the next chapter. Speaking at the GLAAD Media Awards in early March, he confirmed that Season 2 is on track.
“I’m in a room all day writing,” Tierney told Variety at the event. He confirmed that shooting is set to begin this summer. “We’re still on track” .
He is trying to block out the noise and focus on the work. “I think I realized a little while ago that what I have to do is go back to where my head was at the first time I wrote, which was love these books and try to make the smartest thing I can make of it” . He promised to stay faithful to Rachel Reid’s source material for the upcoming season.
The first season of Heated Rivalry is streaming now on Crave in Canada, HBO Max in the US, and on Sky and NOW in the UK.
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