Even more reasons to respect Hockey TV king, Jacob Tierney, from the perspective of a workplace lawyer

Casting Wins in Human Rights and Representation

Canadian Writer and Director Jacob Tierney protects his actor’s human rights. When asked how he cast queer actors in Heated Rivalry, he immediately pushed back and said it’s illegal to ask actors about their sexuality. The guy knows his Canadian employment law! And he wasn’t about discuss anyone's sexuality publicly without their consent. The two stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, have not said much about their sexuality publicly, and the rest of the world is realizing that it is none of their business. Francois Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, is an out bisexual man, and he is being celebrated for his role as well. 

In casting Heated Rivalry, based on Nova Scotian author Rachel Reid’s book by the same name, Tierney (who we know and love from Letterkenny and Shoresy) said he was looking for actors who were invested in the characters’ emotional journeys and passionate about jumping into the love story. He never asked them to show him their bodies during casting (it helped that they had posted shirtless photos on IG, so he knew they could look like pro athletes). The whole casting process sounds like it prioritized respect, dignity, and professionalism in intentional ways. 

The cast itself is diverse, including Korean-Canadian Hudson Williams, from British Columbia, who was a fantastic choice for the Asian-Canadian character Shane Hollander. The character’s race is important in the story, being one of few Asian hockey players in the pro league. Williams, who is ADHD and whose father is autistic, plays the quiet autistic Shane character quite well. Author Rachel Reid confirmed that Shane Hollander’s character is indeed autistic. Fans around the world are celebrating Williams’ careful depiction of flat affect, rumination, communication, routine, care, humour, and special interests. 

The cast also includes trans actor and hockey player Harrison Browne, as one of the Boston players and Ilya's friend, a thoughtful move for trans representation in a sports series (watch for his upcoming film Pink Light!). This feels especially poignant given the new policy from USA Hockey banning trans athletes from accessing hockey programs that are designated by sex, including some community recreational programs. 

Safety and Consent on Set

The show gives audiences a new experience when it comes to intimacy scenes. In the hockey scenes, the star rival players are rough and aggressive with one another. Behind closed doors, during intimate scenes, Ilya is constantly checking in with Shane to see if he is consenting and comfortable with what is happening. In their first sexual experience, Ilya lies on the bed to talk first and asks Shane what he would like to do. When Shane isn’t sure, Ilya asks if he can touch him in certain areas, and makes sure that Shane consents along the way.

The consent conversation does not just happen once. It is a continuous conversation, shown in different ways throughout the show. This communicates to audiences that their physical relationship is grounded in safety and respect. 

The actors reportedly developed a sophisticated silent language to facilitate the intimate scenes, and were constantly checking in with one another on their comfort levels. A physically and psychologically safe work environment. 

It’s clear that the actors worked closely with Chala Hunter, the Intimacy Coordinator on set. The intimacy scenes were sensual and complex, with such careful placements of limbs that genitalia (rather, their modesty garments) were never visible. The actors were engaging in a highly choreographed dance in a professional setting. The scenes became part of the plot, moving the story along. This intentional grounding allowed them to explore intimacy in a way not seen on mainstream television before. 

While straight cis women are the primary readers and watchers of romance stories, including gay and queer romance, the romance of Shane and Ilya is being celebrated by many communities around the globe, bringing joy and hope to audiences unfamiliar with the romance genre. It is inspiring all kinds of events, life changes, and coming out stories, including Jesse Kortuem, a former hockey player.

One of the many reasons people love reading gay and queer romance is because of the display of healthy masculinity where communication, desire, and consent are primary. The romance in this show is particularly engaging for many because it is one of the first times we have seen someone in a relationship with a hyper masculine man feel psychologically safe to be their vulnerable, authentic self and the consequence be mutual emotional growth, accountability, care, and love. It is a fine display of healthy masculinity, and audiences are going wild for it!

Crave TV confirms that it has greenlit season two. I sincerely hope that Bell Media funds more shows like this that offer artful care, joy, and hope to so many! How many times have you watched it? 

Thanks for reading! I'm Alanna Carlson, a Saskatchewan-based lawyer, consultant, and investigator who does workplace assessments, investigations, trainings and neuro-inclusive professional coaching! I also design helpful wellbeing resources that I used to recover from chronic illness; visit my shop!

Sources:

Variety: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/heated-rivalry-actors-gay-creator-shuts-down-question-1236596915/ 

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7005630/2026/01/29/usa-hockey-transgender-policy/ 

Toronto Life: https://torontolife.com/culture/how-heated-rivalrys-intimacy-coordinator-chala-hunter-choreographed-steamiest-sex-scenes/ 

Out News: https://www.out.com/gay-athletes/heated-rivalry-real-hockey-player-coming-out