I have this problem. A couple of weeks ago, I turned on the TV and decided to start a new show called Heated Rivalry, a Canadian production based on a fictional book of the same name. The book and show follow two main characters, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who become National Hockey League stars and fall in love along the way. (In the show, the NHL becomes the “MHL,” which stands for Major League Hockey.)
I’m sure you’ve heard of Heated Rivalry at this point, since the show and its breakout stars, Hudson Williams (Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Rozanov), are all over the internet. The show’s popularity lit on fire at the end of 2025, and in the span of months, Williams and Storrie have gone from relatively normal people with normal serving jobs to appearing on late-night shows and presenting at the Golden Globes.
Heated Rivalry was shot in a short time frame under the direction of Jacob Tierney, with a blueprint from a series of hockey romance books called Game Changers by Rachel Reid. Everything about it — the storytelling, editing, acting, the tenderness of the relationship despite an enemies-to-lovers narrative, and the fact that the characters and the people involved in making the show actually get happy endings in a world where we need more of those — is infectious.
Source: Crave
I can’t stop thinking about Heated Rivalry, because it’s the kind of success story we don’t see enough of in a media landscape dominated by reheated ideas, endless franchise sequels, and already-famous names. So when The Autopian told me I could write about “anything” this week to finish out a few hours of contracted work I’m doing for them, I took it literally.
Let’s discuss what the characters of Heated Rivalry would drive in the year 2026.
First, What’s Heated Rivalry All About?
Heated Rivalry takes place over the course of about a decade, beginning in 2008 when the characters are hockey phenoms who meet at the World Junior Hockey Championships in their late teens. It’s one of six books in Reid’s series. (Currently, two of the books are about Hollander and Rozanov, and there are four about other fictional players. A seventh book, which is a third Hollander-Rozanov story, is in the works.)
Throughout their careers, Hollander and Rozanov have been the hottest rivalry in the league. They’re also total opposites.
Source: Crave
Hollander is a Canadian hockey star whose parents have constantly supported his athletic career. His father, David Hollander, played hockey when he was younger, and his mother, Yuna Hollander, acts as her son’s support system and his brand and sponsorship manager. Hollander is a normal, sometimes bashful guy who makes it big in sports and sometimes fails to pick up on Rozanov’s compliments and flirting.
Rozanov is a hockey star from Russia who’s been figuratively and emotionally alone since his mother, Irina, died when he was 12. (Storrie, who is from Texas, said he officially signed for the role about a week before he flew out to film. He spent the next week on Russian language and dialect lessons.)
Rozanov’s father and brother, who are Russian police, loathe him but love to take advantage of his money and success. Rozanov’s snarky nature and high social IQ camouflage the fact that he’s actually a softie and is lonely — both at home and in his new country, since he uproots himself to play hockey in North America as the No. 1 overall draft pick. Hollander lands No. 2 in the draft, and they take turns at the top of the league throughout the story.
Source: Crave
To have a longstanding secret romance in such a heteronormative sport — especially when everyone assumes they hate each other — threatens both of their careers and Rozanov’s ability to stay in North America based on his employment status. For him, staying in North America means evading hatred from his family and persecution in Russia for his sexuality.
Vehicles aren’t a huge focus in the TV adaptation of Heated Rivalry. But Reid’s books discuss them regularly, especially in relation to Rozanov, who loves spending his hockey salary on flashy sports cars. The books mention some of his preferences — like his orange Porsche 718 Cayman, his Ducati bike, and the Cyan Blue Lotus Evora he almost bought — and I loved that Reid assigned him vehicles that fit his personality and would appeal to a car enthusiast.
But the vehicles in that narrative are from circa 2020, and it’s 2026 now. So here’s what I think the main characters would drive today.
Ilya Rozanov: Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, Lotus Emira, Porsche 911 GT3
Source: Crave
Where we left off in the story, canonically, Rozanov and Hollander share a four-car garage in Ottawa. I’m giving Rozanov three of those parking spaces, because I know that’s how many he’d use.
In the books, Rozanov buys a “Mercedes SUV with all-wheel drive” to handle the Canadian winters and appeal to Hollander’s more practical nature. I’m assigning this SUV as a G-Wagen because Rozanov craves flashiness even if he’s driving an SUV. I think he’d have a Mercedes-AMG G 63 today.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Also in the books, Rozanov considers buying the Cyan Blue Lotus Evora as a pick-me-up while feeling lonely and grappling with depression. He chooses not to because he “would have still been sad, but with a blue car.” I think as his life progresses and things brighten up (which they do!), he’d go for a Seneca Blue Lotus Emira — the modern-day Cyan Blue Lotus Evora. Reid knew how to pick Rozanov’s cars, so I’m not altering them much to account for the present day.
Source: Lotus
The 718 Cayman is also a great pick for Rozanov, but these days, you can’t spec one new. Therefore, I’d put him in a Porsche 911 GT3 with a silly wing on the back, because 911s are better with silly wings. It’d be paint-to-sample Signal Orange.
Source: Porsche
As a wealthy athlete, I could see Rozanov going either way on transmission choice, but also feeling very strongly about whichever transmission he prefers. His argument for the manual would be car enthusiasm, but his argument for an automatic could be: “I am too rich and successful to shift my own gears.”
I choose to believe he’s a manual elitist jerk, like me. (I don’t know if Rozanov’s actor, Storrie, drives stick, but I am happy to volunteer to teach for season two if needed.)
Shane Hollander: Range Rover Evoque
Source: Crave
The conversation that inspired this blog was actually with my dear friend Kristen Lee, who was writing a blog for MotorTrend about Hollander’s car choices. I’d been clenching my jaw on a Heated Rivalry story pitch for days at that point, and with her inspiration, I went for it.
We get a few references to Hollander’s vehicle of choice in the books and show, and the models actually differ. In the book, Hollander drives a Jeep Cherokee. In the show, he’s in a Land Rover LR2.
Source: Crave
Rozanov often calls Hollander boring as a term of endearment, because Rozanov’s family life has been far from boring (in a bad way). Rozanov says Hollander “drives a terrible car,” and in the book, Hollander responds: “What’s wrong with a Cherokee? It’s good in the snow. It holds lots of stuff. It’s a good car.”
Hollander’s car tastes scream “practical in snowy weather, well-upholstered, but not flashy.” As someone with a high sports salary, I’d put him in a vehicle that isn’t flashy on the outside but does have the price and interior quality to reflect his socioeconomic status. It also has to be something Rozanov would call boring.
Source: Land Rover
I spent a good hour deciding which car would be right for Hollander, and the criteria narrowed me down to a Range Rover Evoque. Kristen agrees.
Yuna Hollander: Porsche Cayenne
Source: Crave / Porsche
Shane Hollander’s mom, Yuna, is a combo girl boss-hockey mom who also lives in Canada. She’s always thinking of angles for brand deals and advancing her son’s career, and the natural fit for this kind of person is a Porsche Cayenne. In her eyes, while car shopping, this is the suave, capable, and expensive car that she’s earned for leading a successful life and family.
David Hollander: Lexus LX
Source: Crave / Lexus
Shane Hollander’s dad, David, has a more laid-back role in the narrative, quietly supporting his son’s endeavors without over-stressing him. At one point, Rozanov says, “I want to know about your family! All I know is your mother is Japanese or something. Probably where you get your looks. And your dad is … boring? Is that where you get your boring from?”
Shane Hollander’s practicality comes from his parents, and with his father also living in Canada, he gets a Lexus LX. It’s big, fancy, and four-wheel-drive, without being too flashy. It’s perfect.
Scott Hunter and Kip Grady: Audi RS 7
Source: Crave / Audi
The first book in the Game Changers series follows New York hockey star Scott Hunter and his love interest Kip Grady, whom he meets in a smoothie shop. It’s a heartwarming tale of the cultural change Hunter makes by existing in the sport.
The narrative often mentions Grady taking the train in New York, and there’s one mention of Hunter owning an unnamed SUV.
“You have your own car?” Grady asks.
“Yes,” Hunter responds. “I don’t use it very often, but I own this one. It’s easier to use a service. Not having to worry about parking and stuff.”
Hunter, in my mind, doesn’t drive an SUV. He drives a black Audi RS 7. This is what I picture when I see a high-income, high-class man who doesn’t care too much about cars, because the sloping roofline, blacked-out aesthetic, and Audi logo will sell him on the prestige of it. Even if Hunter barely drives the car, this one fits his personality when he does.
Rose Landry: First-generation Ford Mustang
Source: Crave / Ford
Hollander meets Rose Landry, a popular actress, after trying to talk himself out of his feelings for Rozanov. They briefly date, and Landry becomes someone Hollander can confide in about Rozanov and the parts of his life that no one else can know. She, like the other women in the Heated Rivalry universe, is a caring character who wants the best for Hollander and Rozanov’s relationship in spite of the societal challenges they face.
Landry is a hockey fan who was born and raised in Michigan, and in the show, she’s shown taking car services to her destinations. I don’t think she would buy or drive a new car due to her busy travel and acting schedule, but given her Michigan roots, I think she owns a first-generation Ford Mustang as a family heirloom. She doesn’t drive it much, but she does care about it, just like she cares about the boys.
Svetlana Vetrova: Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II
Source: Crave / RM Sotheby’s
In the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation, Svetlana Vetrova is Rozanov’s version of Landry. She’s a lifelong friend from Russia who’s always there for Rozanov, supporting him in his career and personal life. (In the books, Vetrova has a smaller role. She works at a Lamborghini dealership, knows hockey, meets Rozanov, and they become friends with benefits.)
Source: Lamborghini
Vetrova’s coolness and beauty factor is off the charts, and her vibe is “old, desirable, boxy, low-to-the-ground, non-American performance car.” Because of that, she’d be perfect in a Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II. She also would borrow a Lamborghini Urus Performante from the dealership just to show off.
Now If You’ll Excuse Me, I’m Off to Watch Heated Rivalry Again
Heated Rivalry has taken over my brain, and I haven’t felt so strongly about a piece of media since I discovered Supernatural in 2008 or so. I can’t stop thinking about it, rewatching it, and reading the books, and I’ve decided that I do not want that problem to ever go away.
I’m sure you’ll agree if you watch it, too.
Top graphic images: Crave; Lotus; Range Rover
