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Is ‘Heated Rivalry’ based on a true story? The answer might surprise even hockey fans

Based on some of hockey’s most iconic rivalries, ‘Heated Rivalry’ adds a love story that didn’t actually happen

You know that they didn't lie when they said that forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. This aphorism forms the crux of the LGBTQ+ romance show 'Heated Rivalry'. Originally premiering on the Canadian streaming platform Crave, 'Heated Rivalry' eventually found its home on HBO Max, where the first three episodes of its debut season are now up for streaming. The show stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as hockey superstars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, respectively. Between the two of them, Hollander and Rozanov are National Hockey League icons who find themselves in a heated competition on the ice and a burgeoning romance off it! 

As confirmed by PEOPLE magazine, 'Heated Rivalry' isn't exactly based on a true story. However, the sports rivalry between the two leading figures has been inspired by a real-life competition between two other notable names from the world of hockey. Reid had previously stated on her own website that, "I never directly base my characters on any real people. One of my inspirations for Heated Rivalry was, obviously, the extremely entertaining rivalry between (Sidney) Crosby and (Alexander) Ovechkin. But I was also inspired by other sports rivalries, by other fictional stories, and by my love of the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance tropes."

This should be read in conjunction with Reid's formal acknowledgement of her novel, wherein she credited HBO documentary '24/7', which showed the dynamics between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2011. Reid had commented, "The series planted the seed for this story all those years ago (not that the characters in this book are based on any actual people, of course)". As per OUT.com, the narrative of 'Heated Rivalry' chronicles multiple tournament seasons, beginning right from the time when Rozanov and Hollander are recruited into the NFL as rookies and extending up to a period of eight years, which saw the Stanley Cup-winning players getting more and more fond of each other. Nevertheless, the similarity between the characters and the real-life players ends on the playing field, as the personal lives of the latter haven't been taken into account in the novel. 

In a real-world parallel to the novel and the HBO Max show, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were drafted in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Soon after kickstarting their illustrious careers, both Ovechkin and Crosby found themselves locked in an enduring rivalry on ice. Both of them eventually went on to become the captains of their respective hockey teams. The rivalry was further egged on by enthusiastic fans and the media, and ended up sparking a new life into the game. The rivalry was so engaging that it introduced a whole new generation of fans to the games. 

While speaking with CP24, Reid has further shed light on her characterization, adding that she based Rozanov not exclusively on Ovechkin but on "all these flashy European players" such as Ilya Kovalchuk, Jaromír Jágr, and Teemu Selänne. On the other hand, the author revealed that Hollander was derived from comparatively grounded and 'stoic' players who were 'more role-model types' such as Wayne Gretzky, Paul Kariya, and Crosby. 'Heated Rivalry' airs new episodes every Friday on HBO Max.