“Heated Rivalry” goes to the Olympics in real life
What is the tradition Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie took part in
With the airing of the hit Canadian television show “Heated Rivalry” in late November and December of 2025, the series thrust actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie into stardom at a blinding speed. The two actors have since appeared on multiple talk shows, presented at the 2026 Golden Globes and walked runways. They have also been selected as torch bearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which take place in Milan, Italy, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.
“Heated Rivalry” stars Williams and Storrie as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two closeted professional hockey players navigating their careers and secret relationship over the course of eight years. The TV show quickly gained popularity, with the New York Times publishing that by the airing of the finale, “Heated Rivalry” had been streamed for 324 million minutes. In addition to its streaming success, Hudson Williams revealed on the radio show RadioAndy that closeted professional athletes have reached out to him about the show.
In a very short time, the success of “Heated Rivalry” has started conversations in professional sports regarding the prevalence of LGBTQIA+ players and helped Williams and Storrie reach stardom, all culminating in their roles as torch bearers for the upcoming Winter Olympics. The Torch Relay is a long-standing Olympic tradition that began in 1936 for the Berlin Olympics. The torch is lit in a temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece and then transported to Athens. From Athens, the torch begins its relay to the host city of the games. For the upcoming Milano Cortina Olympics, the torch arrived in Rome from Athens on Dec. 5. On Dec. 6, the Italian leg of the relay began.
Before the Olympic games commence on Feb. 6, 2026, the torch will have traveled to all 20 regions of Italy, 110 provinces and 60 World Heritage Sites.
The tradition of the Olympic torch relay is not ancient, but it is based on ancient beliefs. The Ancient Greeks believed fire was a gift from the Titan Prometheus, and therefore a holy element. They lit fires outside their temples using a parabolic mirror, and when the Olympic torch is lit at the beginning of every relay, the same method is used. This creates a bridge between the Olympics of the modern world and the Olympics of Ancient Greece. The Olympic games were a time of peace in ancient Greece. A sacred truce called an “ekecheiria” was enacted, requiring the homes of Olympic athletes to cease any wars between them for the months prior to and during the Olympic games. Contemporarily, fire is not seen as a holy element, but it does symbolize brotherhood between different people, and the Olympics are often recognized as a time for countries to come together and celebrate their achievements.
As of Jan. 31, the Olympic torch has made its 55th stop in the province Sondrio, which is within the region Lombardi. After the torch leaves, the Olympic games will come back to Sondrio for snowboarding, alpine skiing and ski mountaineering events. The torch will then travel to Lecco, Bergamo, Como, Monza and finally to Milan on Feb. 4, all of which are within the region Lombardi.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie joined a small group of people honored as torch bearers on Sunday, Jan. 25 in the town Feltre, which is within the region Veneto. Their presence in Italy helps cement the incredible success of their show and furthers the effect it has on the world of professional sports. Beyond being renewed for a second season, talk show appearances and many other benefits of fame, Williams and Storrie’s success could expand the audience of both professional hockey and the Winter Olympics in general. They could even help professional athletes who relate to their characters on “Heated Rivalry” open up about their experiences publicly, as they already have privately, and help foster the flame of unity and brotherhood among different people, just as the Olympics intended. Their characters on “Heated Rivalry” went to a fictional Winter Olympics, so it is fitting that they would be chosen as torch bearers for these Winter Olympics, especially after putting professional hockey in the minds of the approximately 9 million viewers of the show in the United States alone.
“Heated Rivalry” will be available to watch in Italy in February and the 63-day torch relay will end on Feb. 6 as the flame is lit in Milan.
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