“They brought the heat. Now they’re carrying the torch,” HBO Max Nordic’s post said on Instagram. “Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are joining the Olympic Torch Relay for #MilanoCortina2026 as official torchbearers.” According to Deadline, the show started as a hidden gem book series written by Rachel Reid (The Long Game, Time to Shine) called Game Changers, which centered on vet hockey player Scott Hunter and his boyfriend, Kip. The series itself is based on the second book. Originally a Crave series, it is now a huge hit after HBO Max licensed to air the show last year. The series follows Williams’s Shane Hollander and Storrie’s Ilys Rozanov, two closeted athletes, that fall in love. The duo slowly lose themselves in each other and learn more about each other and themselves than ever before.
Right now, it is unknown where in the Relay of the Torch the two fake athletes will be placed. However, fans can tune in to the overnight stars before the games begin in Milan on February 6, Deadline reports.
The Game Changer series is all about hockey, and the books are much spicier and juicier than the show. There are also new books coming out of the series as well. You can find the book anywhere you can buy books.
All six episodes of Heated Rivalry are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S., Australia, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, via Deadline. It has been renewed for a second season.