The reason for HBO Max’s hit show Heated Rivalry‘s thumping popularity is evident the first time Ilya Rozanov eyes Shane Hollander in the locker room.

Played by a hunky 25-year-old actor named Connor Storrie, the Russian hockey phenom oozes confidence, as well as sexual chemistry with the more docile and obedient Hollander, played by Hudson Williams. The two studs were selected No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the 2008 “MHL” Draft, and play for the arch-rival Boston Raiders and Montreal Metros.

Over the next decade, they embark on a torrid, mostly secret romance, filled with surreptitious meetups and lots of hot sex. They cavort in luxury hotel suits, at Ilya’s modernist estate in Massachusetts, and eventually, at Shane’s gorgeous cabin in the Canadian wilderness.

Despite the ravenous sex scenes and tantalizing dialogue, Heated Rivalry isn’t exactly a happy story. Ilya and Shane might be two of the best hockey players in the world. But they can’t be their true selves.

That is, until another star player shows them the way. During the six-episode season, Ilya and Shane’s romance is intermixed with New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter’s (François Arnaud) courtship of a hunky smoothie barista, Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.). In the penultimate episode, Scott celebrates his first career Stanley Cup win by summoning Kip from the crowd and kissing him on the ice.

scott hunter kissing kip and coming out publicly yall WILL respect him #heatedrivarly pic.twitter.com/2cgE3dpSw8

— q (@sxarlights) December 19, 2025

Later that summer, when Ilya and Shane come clean to Shane’s parents (they get busted during their secret two-week stay at Shane’s cabin), Ilya cites Scott’s coming out as a life-changing moment for him.

The exchange serves as a nod to the power of queer visibility and the dearth of out gay male pro athletes who actually exist. But as we enter 2026, does that even matter?

Heated Rivalry, where the gay sex scenes are both explicit and plentiful, was one of HBO Max’s top five scripted debuts of the year. The NHL may not be ready for the real-life versions of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, and maybe it never will be.

But this lifelong gay sports fanatic doesn’t care, and apparently, many other people don’t, either.

Connor Storrie looks great with his shirt off regardless! For the girls and gays who devoured his on-screen offerings, that’s all that matters.

Connor Storrie behind the scenes for Cultured Magazine. pic.twitter.com/ID3efK7EzR

— ✰ (@MENin4K) December 26, 2025

The gay athlete unicorn

Heated Rivalry isn’t set in the present day. Ilya and Shane met before their rookie seasons in 2007 and came out to Shane’s parents in 2018. A lot changed over that time, including the federal legalization of same-sex marriage. As public opinion rapidly turned in favor of gay rights, companies and sports leagues chased rainbow dollars.

During that time, a smattering of male pro athletes came out: Carl Nassib, Jason Collins, Robbie Rogers. Michael Sam, the first out gay person selected in the NFL Draft, kissed his boyfriend on ESPN after his name was called.

Unlike Scott Walker’s on-ice embrace of Kip, Sam smooching his boyfriend wasn’t a turning point. With Nassib retired, the out NFL player remains elusive.

Unfortunately, much of the non-entertainment press views Heated Rivalry through that limited lens. Earlier this month, former NHL star and queer ally Sean Avery remarked to Rolling Stone about how the show’s popularity should “open the door” for a gay NHL player to publicly come out.

His comment went viral, threatening to turn the discourse about a cutting-edge and genuinely enjoyable romance into the same old tired trope.

Perhaps that’s why Brock McGillis, a pro hockey player who publicly came out in 2016, dismissed Avery’s prediction in a separate interview with the LGBTQ+ outlet Pink News. “That’s just [Avery] trying to get press,” he said.

McGillis added he doesn’t think the show, which isn’t intended for straight hockey players, will change long-standing NHL culture. Through the interview, McGillis was adamant about how much he likes Heated Rivalry, and how the plot mirrors his own experiences.

Of course, that’s not what other outlets picked up on.

“First openly gay hockey pro claims Heated Rivalry will cause players to stay in the closet,” blared the New York Post.

In a conversation with me, McGillis stressed that he doesn’t blame other outlets for picking up on his response to Avery — the idea of closeted hockey players is alluring.

But he wishes that weren’t the takeaway. “I don’t want to talk about guys coming out. I don’t care,” he said. “They’ll come out when they’re ready, and some of them won’t. And that’s OK.”

What Heated Rivalry represents

Male pro sports remain one of the few cultural spaces without prominent out figures, and the landscape is getting worse. The LA Times recently published a story on the challenges facing out aspiring Olympians, who have seen endorsement opportunities dry up.

Meanwhile, women’s leagues are filled with out stars, and college athletes in sports like track and field and gymnastics come out with simple boyfriend-or-girlfriend reveals.

The big coming-out speech, like Scott Walker’s, is deemed unnecessary.

In a sign of the times, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have been coy about how they identify. They are actors playing roles, they say. It shouldn’t be important. And gay people apparently agree. Heated Rivalry is driving newfound interest in hockey among gay men.

Besides, it’s not like hot cis gay guys are starving for representation. Storrie and Williams aren’t stealing roles.

There’s a privilege to Heated Rivalry: Storrie and Williams are two very attractive, masculine men. In the show, their characters exude their advantages.

Even when they’re caught–and Shane screams that he’s living his “f***ing nightmare!”–it all works out in the end. Shane’s parents embrace them, and his mother eagerly generates marketing pitches for major brands.

In the last scene, Ilya and Shane literally drive off into the sunset. For once, a show about gay characters negotiating their identities ends on a positive note.

For this gay man, that’s a big enough win.