This month, the stars of the Canadian hockey drama "Heated Rivalry" are making their debut on US late-night shows, with appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers." Actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who portray rival professional hockey players in the series, are set to grace the small screen in the coming weeks.
Williams, who plays the role of Canadian forward Shane Hollander, will sit down with Fallon on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Storrie, who portrays Russian sniper Ilya Rozanov, is scheduled to appear on Meyers' show on Monday, January 12th.
The bookings mark the first US late-night appearances for the cast members of the show, which was developed for Bell Media's Crave. Based on Rachel Reid's bestselling 2019 novel, the six-episode series follows two elite hockey players whose intense rivalry evolves into a secret romantic relationship. Directed by Jacob Tierney, the series debuted over US Thanksgiving and has quickly gained international attention.
"The spice definitely gets people in, or kinda piques their interest," Williams told CNN. "But I do think they stay for just the tender romance at the center." He further added that there's a lot of yearning and that these men are forced to communicate with each other, which is sometimes unheard of.
In an interview on Andy Cohen Live, Williams also said that the show has resonated with closeted athletes. "They're reaching out to (Reid), our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely anonymous emails," he said. "And sometimes they're just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, 'Oh, so this is a fun show, and it's celebratory, but also sometimes it's just hitting people right in the nerve.'"
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the actors will also present at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. The series has been renewed for a second season and continues to expand globally through HBO Max, Sky, and Movistar Plus+.
