Talk about bringing the heat to the ice. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the breakout stars behind HBO Max’s sensational hit Heated Rivalry, are trading their fictional Olympic glory for the real deal. The duo has been selected as official torchbearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, HBO Max announced Thursday (January 22, 2026).
The announcement sent shockwaves through social media. After all, the timing couldn’t be more perfect—or improbable.
Williams and Storrie portray Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two closeted professional hockey players navigating a secret romance while competing as fierce rivals. The show, adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved novel series, became an unexpected cultural phenomenon when HBO Max acquired U.S. distribution rights in November 2025.
Now, these actors will carry the Olympic flame leading up to the February 6 opening ceremony.
“I knew it was going to be something. I did not know it was going to be HBO,” Storrie told NBC’s TODAY show, reflecting on the series’ explosive success.
The show’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Originally produced by Canadian streaming service Crave, Heated Rivalry captured hearts with its authentic portrayal of queer athletes. The series follows Williams’ character, captain of the Montreal Metros, and Storrie’s character, captain of the Boston Raiders, as they battle on the ice while falling for each other off it.
HBO Max playfully acknowledged the casting with a social media post: ‘They brought the heat. Now they’re carrying the torch.’
Fans wasted no time celebrating the announcement. Social media erupted with enthusiasm, with one viewer marveling at the serendipity of a hockey show going viral just weeks before the Winter Olympics.
The Olympic torch relay began on November 26 and will conclude during the opening ceremony. Williams and Storrie will join 10,001 people participating in the relay, though organizers haven’t revealed the exact date and location for their torch-bearing appearance.
Interestingly, the show features the characters competing at the 2014 Sochi Olympics—making this real-world Olympic connection even more poignant. The series has already made waves in professional sports, with clips played at actual hockey games and athletes privately sharing their own stories after being inspired by the show’s representation.
Storrie noted the show’s impact on athletes’ mindfulness about their words and actions within the sports brotherhood, emphasizing how the series encourages greater awareness and vulnerability.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will run from February 6-22, with venues scattered across northern Italy, including Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo, Bormio, and Livigno. The games will feature performances by Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli at the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, Heated Rivalry has already secured a second season renewal on both Crave and HBO Max. The show debuts in Italy on February 1—perfectly timed with the Olympic excitement.
Williams, hailing from Kelowna, British Columbia, and Storrie, an American actor, have become unexpected ambassadors for LGBTQ+ representation in sports. Their journey from portraying fictional Olympians to becoming part of Olympic history themselves represents a full-circle moment.
The first men’s ice hockey games at Milano Cortina 2026 are scheduled for February 11, with Team USA opening against Latvia the following day.
As the Olympic flame makes its way through Italian cities, Williams and Storrie will add their own spark to the relay—proving that sometimes fiction and reality intersect in the most spectacular ways.
