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As the popularity of the hit hockey romance Heated Rivalry continues to rise, Guelph is hoping to capitalize on fans who want to visit filming locations.
The six-episode Canadian-made TV series is on Crave and all the on-ice and locker room scenes were filmed at Guelph’s Sleeman Centre.
Now, the city is being named in online posts about spots people can visit to see where the wildly popular show was filmed.
Alex Jaworiwsky, manager of tourism and destination development for Guelph, says they’re excited to see fans of the show coming to the city and she hopes they’ll also become fans of Guelph.
“There’s a lot of community excitement around seeing Guelph and the Sleeman Centre on Heated Rivalry and on a hit Crave TV show,” she told CBC News.
“We know that we have seen a couple hundred people out front taking selfies over the last few weeks. We’re seeing more people come to public skates,” she said.
“And we do know at least a handful of people who are coming out to our [Ontario Hockey League] Guelph Storm games that has either an interest in Heated Rivalry or an interest in hockey related to Heated Rivalry.”
Heated Rivalry is based on a novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid. It tells the story of two rival hockey players that develop feelings for each other, complicating their professional lives.
Crave says Heated Rivalry became its most-watched original series debut within the first week of its release, and two episodes are ranked in the 15 episodes of TV of all time on IMDB.
A second season of the show also got the green light last month. The two main actors, Shane Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov were also presenters at the Golden Globes awards ceremony last weekend.
Come for the selfie, stay to discover the city, tourism rep says
Jaworiwsky says they hope the growing interest in the show will attract more visitors to Guelph.
And as people stop for a selfie at the filming location, or perhaps check out a Guelph Storm game while in the area, she hopes they’ll check out other spots around the city.
“There’s a lot of cute spots and welcoming restaurants … places to find and foster love and friendship,” she said.
“We do really encourage people, if they are coming to Guelph, to snap that selfie at the Sleeman Centre or to check out a Guelph Storm game to also explore more Guelph and downtown.”
In Heated Rivalry, Hudson Williams (left) stars as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie (right) stars as Ilya Rozanov, two hockey players who are pitted against each other on the ice, but have a secret relationship outside the rink. (Bell Media)
She says as a life-long hockey fan, it’s exciting to see her city in the backdrop of a new show about the sport.
“I think it’s a really great way to really tie in these really special themes that bring walls closer together, but also Canadians closer together and just people closer together,” she said.
Parts of the show were also filmed in other cities like Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and a cottage in Muskoka. Those areas also also hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the show.
Ottawa Tourism recently changed its social media bio to say “birthplace of Shane Hollander.”
Tourism Hamilton likewise on Friday posted photos of several of the show’s iconic filming locations on Instagram, writing, “these 5 Hamilton spots have seen some things.”
Discovery Muskoka is also encouraging people to “come to the cottage” and see a loon, which the character Rozanov calls a “stupid Canadian wolf bird.”
Guelph resident Steven Petric posted a photo inside the Sleeman Centre with a still from the TV show Heated Rivalry overlaid on the social media website Bluesky in December. (Steven Petric/Bluesky)Impact on local 2SLGBTQ+ community
The local attention around Heated Rivalry goes beyond the Guelph filming location.
Alex Reaney is the creator of Queer League Guelph, an organization that is focused on providing drop-in sports activities for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
They say queer community representation in the show hits close to home with Guelph in the background, especially for local players that are forced to sign up to gendered leagues.
“Even just trying to dismantle that and trying to showcase that gender doesn’t matter. We can play just based on people’s ability level and then still have fun,” Reaney said.
“I think it kind of speaks to the overall narrative that Heated Rivalry is trying to put out there too, that these boxes are kind of forceful and there needs to be sort of a way to change that narrative in a lot bigger picture.”
Actors Hudson Williams, left, and Connor Storrie are the stars of the show Heated Rivalry on Crave. (Bell Media)
Reaney says shows like Heated Rivalry challenge what’s considered the norm.
“I think the series itself really showcases how forceful the culture can be in hockey, particularly just around how isolated queer folks are and how especially men with things like that just don’t really have the opportunity to be themselves,” they said.
Show ‘breaks a lot of stereotypes’
Ann Pegoraro, the Lang Chair in sport management at the University of Guelph, says some observers and fans of the fictional series are now waiting to see whether the show’s popularity will affect men’s hockey culture in real life.
The show “breaks a lot of stereotypes we’ve seen around hockey” and her hope is the show will make a difference.
“Hockey Canada tells us that 60 per cent or more of their on ice penalties have to deal with slurs around sexual orientation. And so we need to shift language. We need to shift culture at the beginning part of this game to to really push it upwards,” Pegoraro said.
“I think the place that really can make changes at the grassroots level of the people watching this show are parents of kids who play hockey. And hopefully they’re willing to have those conversations to sort of shift that cultural discussion that’s happening around dressing rooms and what happens on hockey teams.”
LISTEN | Can a TV show change hockey culture:
Metro Morning5:35Can Heated Rivalry change hockey culture?
Heated Rivalry is having a moment. The Canadian streaming series – a romance – about closeted gay hockey stars, is blowing up. But will its progressive message move the needle when it comes to the macho side of hockey culture? We talk to sports management expert Ann Pegoraro.