Heated Rivalry: 5 Similarities & 5 Differences with the Game Changers Books
Heated Rivalry 5 Similarities and 5 Differences with the Game Changers Books
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re lacing up to explore the steamy world of “Heated Rivalry”, and how the show mirrors or differs from the books it is based on. There are major spoilers ahead, so keep your guard up!
Similarity: The Main Players
Jacob Tierney’s show “Heated Rivalry” gets its name from the second book in Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” novel series. As in the book, the central protagonists in the series are Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie. The former character is Japanese-Canadian, and the latter is Russian in both versions. They’re rival hockey players with a fiery animosity on the ice, but as soon as the skates come off, tensions of a different kind rise. Hollander and Rozanov, also known by their ship name, Hollanov, get tangled in a years-long romance, equal parts smoldering and soft, while navigating the fear of prejudice in the pro hockey world.
Difference: The League
The book series is Rachel Reid’s direct response to the apparent homophobia she found to be prevalent in the National Hockey League. The author even admitted in an interview that it, quote, ‘attacks the NHL’. The series, however, steers clear of taking jabs at the NHL. It introduces the MLH or Major League Hockey instead, and changes the names of Shane and Ilya’s teams. Instead of the Montreal Voyageurs and the Boston Bears, they play for the Montreal Metros and the Boston Raiders. Jacob Tierney explained to Teen Vogue that the change was made due to legal reasons. That’s why Ilya’s famous bear tattoo from the book is missing from the show.
Similarity: The Spice Level
If you’ve watched even one episode of “Heated Rivalry”, you know it’s a racy show. This is something it has in common with the book. As a matter of fact, Shane and Ilya’s romance is even more erotic on the page than it is on the screen. Jacob Tierney revealed in an interview that he initially thought the “Heated Rivalry” book might not be adaptable because of how graphic and steamy it is. However, once the series started taking shape, the creator quickly realized that they were making a, quote, ‘horny show’, as he told Entertainment Weekly. That said, the intimacy in the story isn’t gratuitous. Both the book and the show use sex to trace Shane and Ilya’s emotional journeys toward love and self-acceptance.
Difference: Hollanov’s Hidden Rendezvous
A core conflict in “Heated Rivalry” is the pressure Shane and Ilya feel to keep their romance a secret. In the book, their initial trysts ensue in hotel rooms. The first time the pair go all the way, which happens rather quickly, is also in a hotel room. At one point, Shane even shells out a small fortune on a building in Montréal, just so he can spend time with Ilya without getting caught. When the two finally start meeting up at Ilya’s, it marks a turning point in their relationship. In the series, they have their first night after two years of stoking their mutual desire over text, in Shane’s apartment. There’s no secret building either, but only because it was out of budget.
Similarity: Scott & Kip
These two walked, so Shane and Ilya could run. Scott Hunter and Christopher "Kip" Grady are the protagonists of the first book in the “Game Changers” series, aptly called “Game Changer”. Hunter is the captain of the New York Admirals hockey team, and Kip is a barista whose smoothies prove lucky for the player. They fall in love, face challenges, and briefly separate, but eventually reunite. Scott decides to come out publicly and kisses Kip in front of the world after winning the Stanley Cup. The series dedicates quite some time to their love story, adapting a significant portion of the first book. While some details are omitted or changed, the show recreates the couple’s defining book moments, like the epic ice rink kiss.
Difference: Scott’s Appearance, Background & Role
In the “Game Changers” book series, the New York Admirals captain has blonde hair and blue eyes. However, in the “Heated Rivalry” series, Scott Hunter, played by the dashing François Arnaud, has dark hair. We’re not complaining, though! The show also made some tweaks to Scott’s upbringing. In the book, he was raised by a single mother, who passed away when he was 14 or 15. In the series, he says his parents were junior hockey coaches who lost their lives to an accident caused by an intoxicated driver when he was 12. The series also seems to suggest that Scott knows of Shane and Ilya’s budding closeness. He uses it to rile Shane up during a game, which doesn’t happen in the book.
Similarity: Hollanov’s Most Heated Moments
Sparing a few details or tonal changes here and there, most of Shane and Ilya’s big moments are faithfully lifted from the book. This includes most of their intimate moments, which were choreographed with the help of intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter. From their shower scenes to Shane putting on a show for Ilya and the pair getting frisky over the phone, fan-favorite book scenes were adapted as precisely as possible. Similarly, crucial moments of emotional vulnerability, such as Ilya nonchalantly offering to make Shane a tuna melt and his Russian confession, are almost exactly the same as in the book universe, except for a few dialogue changes. No wonder fans of the book are so happy with the show!
Difference: Ilya’s Other Relationships
“Heated Rivalry”, the series, expands on the Russian hockey star’s entanglements with Svetlana and Sasha. In the book, Svetlana and Ilya have a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement. She’s the daughter of a hockey player, and the sport is something they bond over. In the show, they’re childhood friends who occasionally fall into bed together. Her father is a Russian minister, but she’s still portrayed as a hockey fan. Meanwhile, Sasha, in the book, is only mentioned in passing as the first guy Ilya was intimate with but casually involved with in Russia. He also happened to be his coach’s son. Sasha shows up in the series and tries to seduce Ilya, who doesn’t give in. This scene is original to the show.
Similarity: Shane’s Autism
This detail isn’t specifically mentioned in the books or the show, but it is a confirmed fact in the “Game Changers” universe. Author Rachel Reid revealed that Shane wasn’t originally intended to be neurodivergent in her novels. However, the experience of navigating her own child’s neurodivergence allowed her to recognize that Shane, too, was possibly on the autism spectrum. She further confirmed in another interview that “Heated Rivalry” creator, Jacob Tierney, and actor Hudson Williams, who plays Shane, also picked up on this. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Hudson shared that he looked to his dad, who’s on the spectrum, to understand and portray his character better. However, he told Glamour that Shane probably isn’t aware of his autism.
Difference: The Ending
The first season of the show closes on an undeniably happy note, but it is quite different from the book. The novel ends with an epilogue where Shane and Ilya announce the launch of their joint project, the Irina Foundation, effectively ending their heated rivalry in the public eye. In the show, Shane comes out to his parents and, in a series-only moment, shares a tender conversation with his mother, Yuna. Ilya officially gives Shane the ‘boyfriend’ label, and they drive off into the sunset. Speaking to Variety, Jacob Tierney explained that he changed the ending to avoid too much exposition and instead, leave viewers with a ‘warm, fuzzy feeling’ as their favorite ship sailed. Well, mission accomplished!
Are you more of a book fan or a series fan? Tell us in the comments!
