Open this photo in gallery:
The Heated Rivalry Team Canada fleece will be produced and distributed by Canadian-owned and operated apparel company Province of Canada.Supplied
Heated Rivalry has taken over pop culture in a way rarely sparked by Canadian television. The stars of the series, Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov), were waiting tables less than a year ago. Now, they’re frequenting late-night talk shows, attending the Golden Globes and carrying the torch for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
When the series became an overnight success late last year, its website gradually sold out of all official merchandise. Fans have since been speculating about when they’ll be able to get their hands on an “I’m coming to the cottage” hat or a pair of Scott Hunter banana socks.
A quick Google search reveals countless knock-offs and other unofficial products. Would you like a “Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird” mug? How about an “I Love Shane Hollander” blanket? You can even snag your own Russian Orthodox cross necklace.
But for those who have patiently waited for the real deal, hope is on the horizon.
One of the most talked about items from the show is the Team Canada fleece worn by Shane when he is representing Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Episode 2. Now, after a grassroots campaign, an official version is becoming a reality.
Open this photo in gallery:
Shane Hollander, right, played by Hudson Williams, wearing the viral fleece in an episode of the show.Crave/Bell Media/Supplied
On Wednesday morning, series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady announced that the viral zip-up jacket will be produced and distributed by Canadian-owned and operated apparel company Province of Canada, citing “overwhelming fan demand.”
“It was really important for me that this be manufactured in Canada,” Brady told The Globe and Mail. “I hope the fans will be very happy. … We have been trying to make this a priority and to live up to the values we want with this show.” Ten per cent of all proceeds will go to an LGBTQ+ charity that has yet to be disclosed. Details on pricing and a release date aren’t yet available, but fans can sign up to learn more.
The Heated Rivalry team has taken a rare hands-on approach to making and distributing the series’ merch.
“I’ve been in the apparel business for four months now,” Brady said with a laugh.
It started with a conversation between Brady, Tierney and Rachel Reid, who, before writing the Game Changers series upon which the show is based, ran her own merchandise supply company. The group worked with a small team to build the website and ordered what they thought was a reasonable amount of stock for its launch.
“We were like, this will be great. We’ll have a nice little side business. And it exploded overnight,” Brady said.
B.C. cities lay claim to Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams in tourism push
They had to turn off presales to avoid an endless cycle of orders. Brady expects that by mid-February, they’ll be able to start restocking some of the sold-out items. “We know that everybody wants it now, and we appreciate all the fans who have taken the time to make sure that they are purchasing from the official website,” he said.
Brady and Tierney felt strongly that the actors should be a part of any merchandise success. Williams, Storrie and other cast members profit from the sale of items that use their images.
This is far from common in the film and television industry, where production companies or studios typically own the intellectual property associated with a project, including rights to the actors’ likenesses.
The jerseys from the series have become especially popular, with fans clamouring to show their support for Hollander’s Montreal Metros and Rozanov’s Boston Raiders. Those wanting to scoop up their own Raiders jersey might think the price is a bit steep ($200), but talk to any hockey fan and they’ll tell you it’s a pretty good deal (most NHL jerseys retail for around $280).
Brady said their first merch order included 600 jerseys that were set to ship in January, when the show was originally scheduled to premiere. Online excitement after the release of the first trailer prompted Bell Media and Crave to push the premiere up to November, however. The most recent order included an additional 2,000 jerseys, which are expected to ship by mid-February.
Open this photo in gallery:
Sold-out items from the Heated Rivalry website.Composite image by Kelsey Wilson/The Globe and Mail; Source images heatedrivalry.com/Supplied
Fan speculation that the teams’ logos were intended to be sexually suggestive has likely played a role in the jerseys’ popularity. Brady and Tierney have confirmed this to be true, but they clarified that spicy logos weren’t part of the plan until they saw graphic designer Stephen Crowhurst’s ideas.
“He was doing his best designs. The Rorschach test of Jacob’s mind led us towards the Montreal Metros – um, you know, and what you could interpret as a guy bending over,” Brady said.
“One of the teams that we created that you see in episode one, we call them the Houston Drillers. It was an exploding oil well,” he said about a different logo. “We had to tone it down from Stephen’s initial design. We were like, I don’t think oil is white. I think that might be too far.”
Open this photo in gallery:
An early draft of the Houston Drillers team logo, left, and the final version, right, designed by graphic designer Stephen Crowhurst.Steven Crowhurst/Supplied
It’s hard to believe but Crowhurst says he created roughly 20 to 30 designs for each team with no intent of innuendo. But since people began pointing out the erotic connotations, he finds them impossible to ignore. “Now that everyone’s talking about it, all I can freaking see is butts,” he said.
The designer appreciates viewers’ attention to detail. “It’s cool that people are noticing, because when you’re doing any show, especially here in Canada, you don’t really feel like anyone’s gonna see it.”
Heated Rivalry has also prompted a surge of interest in hockey, and the NHL has responded with subtle nods to the series. After receiving an influx of custom orders, the Ottawa Senators started selling custom Rozanov and Hollander jerseys at the Canadian Tire Centre. They sold out within an hour, with proceeds going to Ottawa Pride Hockey.
When asked whether they would be interested in collaborating with the NHL, Brady said he’s hopeful. “We’re in early discussions with some folks over there, and we’d love nothing more than to help make sure that the NHL feels more like an inclusive space.”
He’s already dealt with one jersey-related challenge. Brady is a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan, so when the crew had their names printed on the back of Heated Rivalry jerseys he had a decision to make. He couldn’t in good conscience support Boston – even a fictional team.
“It’s hard for me to root for Boston and how much they endlessly destroy our team,” he said. For Tierney, a diehard Montreal Canadiens fan, the choice was obvious.
In the end, Brady decided to go with a New York Admirals jersey. “I’m a Scott stan here,” he said.
